The Gypsy's Prophecy
by Power of the Pen12
Summary: A gypsy at a carnival predicts Holly's capture and torture. Artemis, terrified for his friend, takes Holly across Ireland, trying desperately to protect her. But danger follows them wherever they go. A/H, rated for torture in later chapters. FINISHED.
1. Chapter 1

"Will you hurry up, Artemis?" Juliet whined, tugging at Artemis Fowl's sleeve. Artemis pulled away, sighing heavily.

"Juliet, I am twenty two years old, you cannot make me go through with this against my will," Artemis said through gritted teeth, eying the carnival ahead warily. Juliet laughed.

"Artemis, if you were any younger, I couldn't make you go at all, you'd still be my master! Thanks to your attitude change, you can't say no!" Juliet grasped Artemis's sleeve and practically threw him forward.

Artemis walked through the carnival gates, his mismatched eyes taking in every detail of the fair. Each booth he saw displeased him further; Ring Toss, Dunk Tank, on and on it went.

Juliet eyed the Kissing Booth thoughtfully, then turned to Artemis and whispered, "Hey Fowl, how about you go get in line?"

Artemis blushed deeply. Ever since he had dumped Minerva, Juliet had been desperate to find love for him. The girl at the kissing booth caught Artemis's eye; her piercing green eyes lingered on his blue and hazel ones for a second, then winked. Artemis's mouth dropped open; the girl was truly stunning. Her long black hair fell in curtains around her tan face, her slender fingers lightly grasping a tube of blood red lipstick.

"You like her!" Juliet screeched. "I so knew it, go get in line!"

"A Fowl would never sink so low, and I do not like her," Artemis said tartly. Juliet sighed.

"Fine. Be that way. We'll do something else," Juliet grumbled. Artemis gratefully followed his friend into the hustling crowd, sparing a moment for a last glance at the odd girl at the Kissing Booth.

An hour later, Artemis was silently fuming as he sat in a small, hot tent, watching Juliet throw ball after ball at little cardboard ducks. Artemis did not get the appeal at all; if she managed to knock down three ducks, all she would get is a stuffed dog with a missing eye. How he loathed carnivals.

After what seemed like days, Juliet finally knocked down three cardboard ducks. The surly carnival employee grumpily handed her the stuffed dog. Juliet looked at it for a few seconds, her lip curling.

"Okay, it looked better from over here," Juliet said, placing the dog back on the counter.

"Wonderful, a perfectly nice waste of thirty minutes," Artemis hissed, pushing Juliet out of the booth.

"It was twenty, and be quiet, you big baby," Juliet said, punching Artemis on the shoulder.

Juliet's eyes widened, and she began to bounce on the balls of her feet. Artemis sighed.

"Juliet, you get that childish look in your face whenever you see a booth you like. Which one is it this time, and may I wait out here?"

"Oh, Artemis, let's get our fortunes told!" Juliet screeched, tugging on Artemis's sleeve.

Artemis glanced at the booth Juliet was pointing at; it was a violent magenta, with beads strung above the entrance. Inside, he could see a fairly young woman in a flowing green dress clasping a man's hand, murmuring something. Artemis cringed; the last thing he wanted was to be in the same room with a magical wanna-be, but he had promised Juliet that he would do anything she had wanted to do. He looked up to see Juliet looking anxiously at him.

"Fine, we'll go in," he sighed. Juliet clapped, and raced towards the little tent.

"All right, then, go in," Juliet whispered." Artemis's mouth dropped.

"I'm not going in there alone," he hissed. "I thought you wanted"-

"Oh, Artemis, just do this one thing for me," Juliet said, cutting him off. Artemis stormed into the tent, fuming.

"Welcome, Artemis Fowl II," the fortune teller said, her eyes closed. Artemis jumped a little.

"How do you know my name?" he inquired, warily taking a seat in a chair lined with beaded cushions.

"Esperanza knows more than that," the woman said. Artemis couldn't help but admire the woman for not taking on a fake accent like most fortune tellers.

"So, what can I do for you today, Artemis?" Esperanza said pleasantly. Artemis stiffened. He was not used to complete strangers calling him by his first name.

"Ah, a simple palm reading will do," he said. And then, "I'm sorry, but how did you know my name? Am I wearing some sort of identification?"

Esperanza laughed gently. "I see you do not believe in the magic of gypsies." Artemis shook his head.

"But why shouldn't you, Artemis Fowl, if you believe in fairies? Know some, even?"

Artemis jumped out of his chair, backing up a few steps. "Show me your ears."

Esperanza obediently pulled back her blonde hair to reveal two perfectly normal, human ears. "I am not a fairy myself, Artemis, but I am familiar with The People. I am a friend; you do not have to be afraid."

"I am anything but afraid," Artemis snapped. "I just wish to know how you know my personal life so well."

Esperanza laughed. "Well, come here and let me show you how I know."

Artemis sat back in the chair, curiosity getting the best of him. "Your left hand, if you please," the gypsy quipped. Artemis gingerly extended his hand, which Esperanza grasped.

"Oh, yes, just as I predicted," she breathed, running a long finger over a line on Artemis's hand. "You see your intelligence line? It practically runs off your hand." Artemis sat up a bit straighter. "And your life line… my, you have cheated death so many times, the line is crooked. And your wealth… amazing!"

Artemis wasn't particularly impressed with this; it was fairly obvious that he was rich, judging by his suit, and the width of his brow should give away a clue that he was extremely intelligent. His life line, perhaps, was something intriguing.

Suddenly, the gypsy gasped, dropping Artemis's hand. "What is it?" Artemis shouted, grasping the twitching woman's shoulders. "What's wrong?"

Esperanza didn't respond; instead, her eyes snapped open, looking directly into Artemis's.

"My god," she whispered. "In all my years, never have I seen…"

"What is it?" Artemis shouted, shaking Esperanza's shoulders again.

"Tell me, Master Fowl," she said, "do you have a female elf friend, about three feet tall, by the name of Holly Short?"

Artemis's stomach plummeted. There was absolutely no way this woman could have known about Holly unless she really was psychic.

"Yes, I do. What's wrong? Is she hurt?"

"No, but she will be," the gypsy whispered. "Whatever you do, you mustn't let her leave your side, or horrible, horrible things will happen."

"What did you see?" Artemis asked. The gypsy shook her head.

"Oh, you mustn't know that, Artemis, it is far too horrible for you to see," Esperanza said. Artemis fell back in his chair.

"Tell me what happened, Esperanza, I need to know," he said quietly. His voice was dead serious, and dangerous. Esperanza seemed to be considering telling him.

"All right," she said. "But I cannot tell you. You must see."

And the psychic lunged at Artemis, pressing her forehead to his. Before Artemis could protest, Esperanza murmured three words in a language unknown to Artemis, and the world seemed to melt away.


	2. Chapter 2

Artemis blinked a few times, but all he could see was darkness. Suddenly, something in a corner moved; he squinted at it, and immediately the image came into much clearer focus. It was like Artemis could look at the world through binoculars.

Artemis moved closer to the thing; it looked like a person. Whoever it was sat up, obviously in pain.

Artemis gasped; it was Holly. He turned to look at her. Her hair was incredibly filthy, like someone had rubbed mud in it. Her arms, legs, and shoulders were bloody and scraped. Her face was tear stained; she had obviously just been crying. Holly raised a hand to brush off her face. Artemis noted that her ankles and wrists were shackled to the ground.

Artemis noticed that he seemed to be inside a cave; even though this room was large, the claustrophobic feeling was incredible.

A figure appeared out of virtually nowhere next to Holly. She didn't even flinch.

"Hello," the figure said. Artemis couldn't tell if the voice was male or female. Whoever it was seemed to be dressed from head to toe in black, with a black mask covering their face.

"He won't come," Holly said through gritted teeth. "He's smarter than that, and you know it."

"Yes, I know that usually he would be smart enough to stay out of an obvious trap; but he cares so much for you, I don't think it will matter."

"He doesn't care," Holly said bitterly. "Not at all." Holly's captor laughed coldly.

"But dear, don't you remember that's just your imagination? Even though it might seem real, it's all in your head."

"It's in my head 24/7, thanks to you," Holly muttered. Her captor chuckled.

"Indeed, my dear. What better torture is there than your own darkest fears? Which reminds me, it's about time for it to start again."

Holly's head bowed low, shaking with anger. Her captor conjured what looked like a long, delicate golden necklace. After a few words to the chain, her captor threw the necklace-like thing at Holly, letting it wrap around her. Holly yelled, then collapsed on the floor, unconscious. Her captor smiled evilly, snapped his/her fingers, and disappeared.

Artemis blinked, and he was back in the gypsy's tent, slumped on his chair. Esperanza was bent over him, looking worried.

"I told you it was horrible," she said shrilly. Artemis moaned.

"I have to save her," he groaned, standing on wobbling legs. Esperanza shook her head violently.

"No, boy! What you saw was the future! You must protect her, you must not let Holly leave your sight once!" Artemis nodded.

"Esperanza, what did she mean, 'He doesn't care'? Was she talking about me?" The gypsy sighed.

"I see many things, Artemis Fowl, but I cannot see what is not plain. Both Holly and her captor know who 'he' is, so they never mentioned his name."

"I have to go," Artemis mumbled, taking a twenty dollar bill from his pocket. "You deserve more than this, you might have saved my best friends' life, but"-

"Go!" Esperanza said firmly. "Money is nothing to me."

Artemis gratefully left the perfumed tent, running to Juliet. She beamed at him.

"Well? I told you it would be fun! You were in there for, like, an eternity!"

"We need to go," Artemis whispered, grasping Juliet's wrist. "I'll explain on the way. It's about Holly."

"About… who?" Juliet said, confused. Artemis clamped a hand over his mouth, realizing that Juliet never got her fairy memories back. He needed Juliet to remember Holly quickly. What word would jog her memory?

"Fairy Girl," he murmured into Juliet's ear, remembering the insulting name Juliet gave Holly when Holly was a prisoner in Fowl Manor. Juliet gasped, memories flitting to the surface of her mind. She managed to make it to the car before collapsing, unconscious. Artemis heaved a heavy sigh, and drove as quickly as he could back to Fowl Manor.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Juliet shouted at Artemis the moment they reached home. "You've known for years! I haven't remembered Holly since the Spiro thing! _Why didn't you remind me?_"

"It would've put you in great danger," Artemis snapped. "And anyway, let's talk about this later, shall we? Butler is still in the United States, I told him to take a vacation for once. Holly is in grave danger, and we're the only ones that can help her."

This sobered Juliet, who fell back into a chair, silent. "Thank you. Now, I must arrange a shuttle to Haven. We have no time to lose."


	3. Chapter 3

Five hours later, Juliet and Artemis arrived in Haven. Fairies were screaming by the time the two made it to the main streets, but it didn't matter. Most of the fairies recognized and admired Artemis, and accepted the fact he could visit Haven at any time.

The two ran into Police Plaza, after a quick talk with the security guards. Artemis skidded down the hall, practically dragging Juliet, as she was too fascinated by pretty much everything she saw.

"FOALY!" Artemis shouted, banging on the door of Foaly's office. He couldn't see inside, but knew Foaly could see him. The door swung open, to reveal a flustered Foaly.

"F-Fowl! What in Frond's name are you doing down here? How did you get inside? No matter, why are you here?"

"It's about Holly. Is she here?" Artemis asked, momentarily distracted by a button camera near Foaly's door; obviously a new design.

"No, the work day's over, she went home," Foaly explained. "Why do you want to see her, anyway?"

"That's not important. Can you give me her address?" Artemis asked. Foaly squinted suspiciously.

"Fowl, Holly has had a really long day. A long week, actually. And whenever you pop up, it's usually not for tea and cookies. Holly told me about what really happened in the past- everything. It was hurting her, and she needed a friend to talk to. That's the thing with Holly; she doesn't have a lot of friends. And you are supposed to be one of her friends. You lied to her; you kissed her; you almost got her killed!"

"I needed to… twist the truth a bit, I was desperate! You know Holly would do the same in a heartbeat for family and friends! And we made up, I apologized, she said we were even! Foaly, j-just give me her address, this is important!" Artemis snapped, color flooding his pale face. Juliet's mouth had been open for so long she had started to drool.

"You kissed Holly? No way! I thought she had a thing for that Trouble dude!" Juliet said in awe. Artemis closed his eyes for a moment, taking a few calming breaths.

"Listen, Foaly, I promise I will take Holly to Tara for a moonlit picnic and hire a skywriter to write the words 'I'm sorry Holly' across the sky if you give me her address," Artemis said. Foaly sighed, and wrote Holly's address on a slip of paper.

"You better not hurt her, Fowl," Foaly shouted warningly at Artemis's back as the two humans raced down the hall. "I haven't seen Holly this vulnerable since Root died."

Artemis dragged Juliet through the streets of Haven, desperately looking for Nocra Drive. He asked Chix Verbil, who just happened to be in the neighborhood (namely, skipping work and goofing off with a few friends) if he knew where the street was. When Chix refused to talk (Chix has never been a fan of Arty) Artemis innocently pointed out that Commander Kelp wouldn't exactly like it if he found out that his lowlife Corporal had been skiving off instead of being sick in bed with the Heffalumps (Okay, no one underground has seen Winnie The Pooh except Chix, who bought an illegal copy from a gnome. Does that make sense?). Chix then gladly coughed up the directions.

The two humans raced down Nocra Drive, checking the Gnommish numbers. Juliet wasn't really looking for Holly's house; merely ooing and aahing at everything she saw.

Artemis finally saw Holly opening her front door, looking thoroughly beaten and tired. He took a few precious seconds to marvel at how long her hair had grown, now a flowing auburn waterfall reaching her middle back. Holly looked stunning, but not exactly different. Maybe she had always looked that way. Maybe Artemis just hadn't seen it.

"HOLLY!" Artemis shouted, fear gripping his stomach. What if the mysterious captor was inside her house? He raced down the street, Juliet just ahead of him.

Holly glanced up, did a comical double take, and mouthed, Fowl? She froze, wondering if she was hallucinating, and yet the sprinting humans only got closer and clearer.

"Holly, wait, don't go in!" Artemis panted, reaching her doorstep.

"Fowl, how in the world… WHY in the world…" Holly was at a loss for words. "Juliet…memory?"

"Yes, she remembers everything. Holly, there is really no time to explain. You must come with us, it is a matter of life or death," Artemis said.

There was a few moments' awkward silence, which Juliet broke by saying timidly, "I like your hair, Holly."

Holly laughed, remembering affectionately how much she had missed Juliet. "Thank you, Juliet. I decided to be a bit more feminine- it's not really working out for me."

Artemis shuffled uncomfortably. "Girls, we can talk beauty in the shuttle. We really need to move."

"No, Artemis, you really need to explain what's going on," Holly snapped. "It's a regular work week, I can't leave for anything."

"I'll explain, I promise, "Artemis pleaded. "You'll just have to trust me."

Artemis regretted the words before they left his mouth. Holly's eyebrows raised, her arms suddenly crossed.

"Trust you. Uh huh. Listen, Artemis, tell me the short version, and maybe I'll go with you," Holly said coldly. Artemis winced under Holly's glare, and began to explain.

He told Holly about Esperanza, and how she had told him that Holly was in mortal danger. He told her that he had seen the future- making sure not to give any details of the actual vision- and it was grim. After fifteen minutes, Holly was looking a bit intimidated.

"So, someone's after me?" she asked. Artemis shook his head.

"No, someone's after me, but they obviously know I care about you, so they're using you as a…" Artemis trailed away, blushing. _They know I care about you? How could I say that?__  
_Holly sighed. "How do I know this isn't just another ruse to get me to the surface?"

"I know it's hard to believe, Holly, but please, you do have to trust me," Artemis pleaded. Holly grimaced.

"Fine, Fowl, I'll trust you. But just because I doubt you'd put Juliet in danger unless it was serious."

Artemis nodded, and headed back up the street. Juliet jumped on Holly the moment Artemis's back was turned, hugging the small elf until she couldn't breathe.

"JULIET!" Holly's muffled voice shouted. Juliet slackened her grip, but did not let go.

"I missed you!" she said happily. "Well, technically I didn't actually miss you, but if I had remembered who you were, I definitely would have!"

Holly's spirits were lifted; Juliet usually did that to a person. All up the street, the two girls reminisced and laughed about past experiences, while Artemis ran a few sweeps of the street with a gadget he had constructed back at the manor.

I wish I could be so carefree, Artemis found himself thinking. I wish I could laugh with Holly without glancing over my shoulder to check for deranged pixies or crazed billionares.

The three of them made their way to the shuttle, Artemis nervous, Juliet content, and Holly a mixture of the two.


	4. Chapter 4

The trio arrived on the surface hours later. Holly kept dozing off; Foaly hadn't been kidding, she had had a long week, and needed rest.  
Holly fell into a deep sleep in the car, slumping, invisibly, onto the floor. When they reached Fowl Manor and Artemis couldn't find Holly, he almost panicked, but, being Artemis Fowl, composed himself and finally found a snoring Holly on the floor.  
He had to carry her inside, completely invisible, which was quite a task, seeing how he couldn't tell where her head was. Halfway to the door, Holly flickered into the visible spectrum, her head lolling backwards. Artemis hurried inside, hugging Holly like a doll. She looked so innocent and vulnerable; like she had as an adolescent, nine years ago.  
Artemis carefully placed his elfin friend on a couch, stroking her hair from her face. He stood there, looking at her, for quite some time. Suddenly, he heard a small, "ahem", from behind. Juliet stood there, a knowing smile on her lips.  
"She's pretty, isn't she?" Juliet said sweetly. Artemis scowled at her.  
"If Holly is alone, sleeping, she is an easy target. What did you expect me to do?" he shot at Juliet, who raised her hands in surrender, but left smirking.  
Artemis set up various cameras around Holly, and walked briskly to the security booth, setting aside a few screens for the different angles of Holly and the room she was in. Shamefully, Artemis realized this gave him a very good reason to look at Holly, which for some reason was all he wanted to do. Hadn't they both agreed that the past was in the past? The kiss had meant nothing, and yet…  
Artemis tapped a few passwords into a computer, activating filters and motion detectors in the video cameras. He had created a new device that could spot fairies when they were shielded. It was a lot easier than looking at individual frames, but had cost a fortune.  
Juliet entered the booth half an hour later. "Artemis, Fowl Manor already has the bet security in Ireland, I don't think whoever wants Holly can get in," she said gently, gripping Artemis's tense shoulder.  
"One can never be too safe," he said matter-of-factly. He heaved a sigh, and murmured, "Why her, Juliet? What about the twins? What about my parents? Why is Holly targeted?"  
"I truly don't know, Artemis, but I have a theory," Juliet said, embarrassed. Artemis cocked an eyebrow.  
"Let's hear it, then."  
"Well, you love your family, but Holly is different," Juliet stated. "You've gone through so much together, gone through so much to keep each other alive… And it's a bit obvious you're in love with her."  
Artemis toppled out of his leather swivel chair, shouting, "WHAT?" in an affronted tone. Juliet laughed at the sight of the young man on the floor, struggling to get up and tripping over his own feet.  
"I most _certainly_ am not in love with Captain Short," Artemis hissed. Juliet rolled her eyes.  
"Oh, so now it's 'Captain Short'? Why so formal, _Mud Boy_?"  
"Sorry. As I was saying, we are just friends, and that must be why she was targeted. I do not have a lot of close friends."  
Juliet snorted. "Artemis, you two kissed, and Holly went through a small depression over the fact you lied to her. If you don't love her, it's a pity, because she sure loves you."  
Artemis was growing red. "The only reason we kissed was because Holly's adolescent hormones were out of control"-  
"And so she lost the ability to hide her feelings for you!" Juliet interrupted stubbornly. A sudden crash and a terrified scream cut the argument short.  
"Holly!" Artemis whispered, scrambling to the security televisions. Holly was on the ground, wide awake. Her left arm was bloodied and a note lay on the table. A cloaked, invisible figure, who Artemis could see plainly thanks to the video filters, was making for the door, but took time to glance at one of the cameras, and give a false salute.  
Artemis and Juliet hurried downstairs, Juliet's lip trembling. The two raced to Holly's side. The elf was panting slightly, blue sparks circling the wound as though wary to approach it.  
"It won't heal," she said desperately. "That knife was magical."


	5. Chapter 5 and 6

Artemis gently helped Holly to the couch again, checking for other cuts. She seemed otherwise fine, at least physically. "Tell me what happened," Artemis said quietly.  
Holly nodded. "I was asleep on the couch, and all of a sudden, I started dreaming. This was not a normal dream; it was much too clear. The thing was it was a nightmare- beyond a nightmare." Holly shuddered, and continued, "It was the night my mother died, replayed a thousand times. Then I felt a searing pain in my arm, and I awoke to find a knife in my arm."  
Artemis was mentally storing all of this, especially Holly's horrified shudder.  
"They left a note," Juliet pointed out, reaching for the paper.  
"DON'T!" Artemis shouted, grabbing Juliet's arm. She recoiled, surprised. "I'm sorry, but there might be fingerprints on that paper," Artemis explained. He fetched a pair of special gloves and gently picked up the paper. It read:  
To Holly Short:  
This is nothing but a warning. If you give yourself up now, you don't have to get hurt (much). Just meet me tonight at Tara, 11:30. Come alone.  
If you refuse, I shall give you two more chances. After that, I shall come and collect you myself, along with Fowl and anyone who is loyal to you.  
Sincerely,  
A Nightmare You Won't Wake Up From.  
"Well, that's friendly," Holly joked, covering her fear. Artemis was paler than usual.  
"We have to leave," he said. "Juliet, you should stay here. My family will be returning from vacation around the same time Butler will. Tell them a variation of the truth."  
"No plan?" Holly asked, looking disappointed. "I mean, usually, you would know some way to defeat this weirdo."  
Artemis grimaced. "Normally, the villain would be easier to track, and more like normal villains. This particular individual is rather Joker-like."  
"Joker-like?" Holly asked.  
"In the movie "The Dark Knight"? I guess you had to see it. Forget it," Artemis mumbled. Holly shrugged at Juliet.  
"Interesting code name," Juliet commented. "A Nightmare You Won't Wake Up From. Can I have one like that?"  
Holly laughed, and Artemis gave a forced smile. "Yes. Your name shall be, 'A Pain That Never Goes Away."  
"Hey, that hurts!" Juliet said, pouting.  
"You'll get over it," Holly said, smiling. "Well, if we're leaving, what shall we take?"  
Artemis had all ready consisted a list. "Just essentials, nothing fancy. Cameras, a tent, food, water, and a few weapons should be enough."  
After trying various methods of healing Holly's wound, the three of them gathered these items solemnly, and as quickly as possible. In the dead of night, Artemis and Holly snuck from the house, Holly invisible, Artemis under a sheet of cam foil. Juliet bid them farewell, smiling brightly as they went out the door. After the two left, she curled in a chair, crying silently. Her friends might never make it back, and she was completely alone in a who-knows-how-many-floors-high mansion.

Holly strapped on a pair of wings, wrapping her arms around Artemis's midriff. Her fingers interlaced, tightening so that Artemis let out a small gasp.  
"Sorry," Holly apologized, and the two took off into the night. Holly could feel Artemis's chest heaving beneath her hands, feel his heart pounding. Her own heart skipped a beat, and she felt the pounding in her throat.  
A scene began to play in Holly's mind: Artemis, slipping from her grasp, shouting her name as he fell to the earth; Artemis's body, splayed upon the ground, eyes half open, as a cackle of laughter haunted the evening air.  
"HOLLY!" Artemis screamed. Holly's vision cleared; she realized she had been flying wildly, the scenario in her head become far too real. Artemis indeed did slip from her fingers, falling to the earth.  
"NO!" Holly screamed, shooting downwards at a sickeningly fast speed. She managed to catch up with her friend, and yelled, "Hold on, I won't let you…" The rest of the sentence was caught in her throat.  
Holly caught Artemis's wrist, and heard the disturbing crack as the bone broke. Artemis yelled out in pain, but a few blue sparks weaved into his wrist and healed the bone.  
Holly threw Artemis into the air like a puppet, catching him in her arms. She realized his cam foil had long since been blown away, probably during her little fantasy. She activated the foil's self destruct, silently thanking Foaly.  
Holly heard a noise, and realized she was sobbing; not out of sadness, mainly out of the dangerous mixture of emotions she had just experienced; intense fear and intense relief did not mix well after a fifty foot dive.  
The two landed on a deserted hilltop. Holly let Artemis drop roughly a foot from the foliage, who instantly sprang up, coughing. Holly was bent double on the ground, throwing up. What was wrong with her? Her cut was bleeding again, the bandage becoming red. Artemis scrambled to Holly's side, changing the bandage and holding his friends' shoulder as she vomited.  
Once she had finished, the elf collapsed into Artemis's arms, holding the human shamelessly tight. Normally Holly would have been embarrassed, normally she would not hug Artemis at all, but something was definitely wrong with her, she felt as though she was twenty again.  
"Shhh, it's all right, we're both safe," Artemis murmured, calming Holly like a small child.  
"I know, I'm s-sorry," Holly gasped, thanking the gods her long hair covered her tear streaked face. "I l-let you fall…"  
"Holly, obviously something's seriously wrong with you, perhaps the intruder in the Manor did something to you, the important thing is you caught me, which was completely spectacular," Artemis whispered, realizing a few tears were trickling down his own face. "Oh, Holly, don't cry, please…"  
Holly composed herself, smiling blearily up at her friend. But Artemis did not look the same; he was glaring at her.  
"You let me fall," he snapped, snatching his arms away from Holly. "I'm supposed to be protecting you, and you're trying to kill me? Is that it?"  
"No!" Holly said, horrified. This couldn't be real, this must be a dream, for Artemis looked different; his skin was tanned, his hair longer and fell gracefully around his face, like Sirius Black in the Harry Potter Series. He was more muscular, yet his face was cruel and disdainful.  
"If you were really my friend, you would've given yourself up!" Artemis shouted. "Now that villain will kill us both. I thought you cared for me!"  
"Artemis, stop this!" Holly shouted back. "You know I care for you, if I had given myself up that villain would've gotten you anyway!"  
But Artemis had gotten up, he was striding off up the hill, glancing back at Holly with a look that could kill a troll.  
"Holly? HOLLY!"  
Holly's eyelids batted a few times, clearing her vision. There was Artemis, her Artemis, the pale faced weakling she had known for so many years, gripping her shoulders.  
"Artemis?" she mumbled. Artemis half laughed with relief.  
"Oh, Holly, you scared me," he said. "Another hallucination, I presume. One minute you were talking to me, the next you had turned and was shouting at thin air. Something about me, I think."  
"Y-yes… horrible… let's keep moving," Holly said briskly, standing on wobbly legs.  
"Holly, your arm!" Artemis shouted. A small golden chain had snaked from Holly's head to her wound. It noiselessly dissolved into the cut, leaving Artemis wondering if he had seen anything at all.


	6. Chapter 7

**Some of you asked about the format; I give my heartfelt apologies. I belong to .com, and on that site, it puts spaces between your paragraphs immediately. So I got used to that luxury. Oh, and on the other site, the page stretches the font, so all my chapters looked really long. I now see that my chapters are pathetically short on , and I've combined some chapters to make nice long new ones. ******

**Disclaimer: Do I **_**look**_** like an Irish, middle-aged man? No. So I guess I'm not Eoin Colfer. **

The two trekked up the mountain, Holly eying her arm warily, expecting to see a golden chain snake from it at any time, like Artemis swore he had seen.

A note was pinned to a tree branch. Artemis plucked it from the leaves, dreading whatever the little paper said:

Hello, Artemis.

I see you are well, though I cannot say the same for your elfin companion. I don't know how you can let her suffer like this. And you are supposed to be the good guy!

I know the horrors Holly just experienced; I designed that little critter you saw myself. I wouldn't call it a critter, exactly, but if I explained what exactly that thing is, then you would know far too much. That would suck the fun out of the game for me.

Tell Holly to hand herself to me tomorrow at ten, at this spot. If you don't, you will receive two more warnings. In the mean time, Holly will continue to hallucinate.  
You can save your friend and yourself a lot of pain.

Sincerely,  
A Nightmare You Won't Wake Up From.

"What does it say?" Holly asked weakly. Artemis swallowed, making his decision.

"It's the second warning, nothing more," Artemis told her. "Don't worry, we'll go someplace we cannot be tracked."

Holly bit her lip, opened her mouth, and closed it again. Artemis looked questioningly at her, but the elf remained silent. Artemis cocked an eyebrow, but did not say a word.

The two walked for another hour before reaching a small cave.

"We'll sleep here," Artemis told his friend, setting up the tent.

"Artemis, this is possibly the worst place we could sleep," Holly said exasperatedly. "This cave has so many easy hiding spots, our captor could be in with us right now!"

"No," Artemis said guiltily. "Our captor expects you to give yourself up a couple miles back. We're safe."

The two slept relatively close to each other, sleeping bags almost touching. Artemis was almost asleep when he felt a small hand touch his own. Looking up, he saw Holly, fast asleep, reaching for his hand. Artemis grasped the small hand in his own, and went to sleep smiling.

The next morning, Artemis awoke to a scream and a punch to the back of the head. Holly was flailing in her sleeping bag, eyes wide open but slightly glassed over.

"Holly, you're dreaming! HOLLY!" Artemis had to grab each of Holly's hands, talking to her soothingly.

"Oh… sorry, another stupid dream," Holly grumbled angrily. Artemis nodded sympathetically.

"What was this one about?" he asked. Holly grimaced.

"Opal Koboi. It was awful, that stupid pixie had gotten me in that awful lab you told me about, and I was in a vat of animal fat."

Artemis shuddered. He knew how horrible animal fat was to fairies; it turned their own magic against them, not to mention suffocated them. Also, since most fairies were vegetarians, it was torture for them to know how many animals had been killed to produce the fat.

Holly's long hair was a tangled mess, which Artemis couldn't help laughing at. Holly shot him a withering glance, combing her hair with her fingers.

"There's a stream nearby," Artemis offered. "You could wash your hair, if you don't mind getting a few fish caught in it."

Obviously Artemis was joking, but Holly still was wary while dunking her head in the ice cold water.

Artemis watched Holly to make sure she didn't have another hallucination and drown herself. He watched the water cascade over her face and neck, smiling slightly as a fish brushed her cheek. Holly gave a shout, stumbling back upon the shore. She glanced up at Artemis, who was shaking with silent laughter.

"Why don't you wash your own hair?" Holly suggested dryly. "I daresay it needs it."

Artemis obliged, dipping his head in the river and feverishly brushing the raven black hair with his fingers, hoping to detach a few tangles.

"Let me," Holly said, sighing. She moved to Artemis's side, her own head sopping wet, and took his head in her hands.

Her slender fingers combed the snags and tangles out of Artemis's shining black hair. Artemis felt her fingers, cold from the water, on his head. He sat like that for a while, his head bowed as though in prayer, feeling Holly's fingers tugging gently at his hair.

Holly combed the last snag, and smoothed Artemis's hair like a mother would a young child. Holly realized her hands were no longer combing Artemis's hair, merely feeling it, enjoying the feel of his head in her hands.

Artemis too seemed to realize what Holly was doing. He stayed motionless, and Holly's arms froze. The two stayed like this, Artemis's head bent, Holly's hands in his hair, for a few minutes, feeling a connection they had never felt before.

Artemis lifted his head to meet Holly's eyes, and Holly's hands slid from his hair to his face. Holly's hair was almost dry, and blowing in the slight breeze. Artemis lifted a tentative hand to touch the auburn locks. Holly did not pull away.

Artemis opened his mouth to speak. Holly placed two fingers over his lips, smiling in a sad sort of way. The moment was gone.

Artemis's hands recoiled; Holly stood, saying, "See, your hair looks much better now," while hastily pressing her own cool palms to her cheeks, willing the color to leave her face. Artemis blinked, not sure of what had just happened. He looked at Holly's back, wondering if she had hallucinated or if the sad, wishful look she had given him had been real. He remembered the way her eyes had sparkled at that moment, and felt his stomach lurch.

"Holly?" he said, scared of what might happen next. She turned, her expression nervous as well.

"What?" she answered, biting her lower lip. Artemis was at a loss for a moment.

"Ah… what just happened?" he asked stupidly.  
"I fixed your hair for you," Holly said matter-of-factly. Artemis gave her a look that said, 'oh, come on'.

"I honestly don't know," she said, throwing up her arms. "Let's be honest right now, because I don't know how long I have until that freak gives the third warning. What do you think just happened?"

"I think that we shared a moment of understanding," Artemis said. "I have been studying these; it is when two people truly understand each other. It is a nonverbal moment, usually confirmed with eye contact."

"That sounds about right," Holly said cheerfully, although inwardly disappointed. She automatically suppressed the feeling.

"We should start moving," Artemis said briskly, heading towards the cave. Holly sighed and began walking in Artemis's wake.

"Your hair really does look lovely," Artemis said, his back still to Holly. "Though I can't see why Juliet talks about hair quite so much."

Holly smiled, and said, "You don't look so bad yourself, for a soaked vampire."

"_Fashion Today_ said that the 'Soaked Vampire' look was in," Artemis pouted. Holly gave a little laugh, and the two packed their bags and moved through the woods.


	7. Chapter 8

The two trekked in silence for hours. Artemis became tired very quickly, but Holly, who had a magical gash in her arm, kept hallucinating, and had dived fifty feet just the other day, was still very energetic.

The two didn't talk much. It was a painful silence at some points; one that both desperately wanted to break, but couldn't think of a topic to speak about. Finally Holly said, "Listen, you look really tired, let's just take a break here. You look like you need it, Arty-temis."

Holly had meant to say 'Arty', but had realized halfway through the word it might be a bit awkward, and tried to say 'Artemis'. The result; Arty-temis.

Artemis obliged. The two sat on some tree stumps, eating some food Juliet had packed for them. Not exactly caviar, but neither complained.

"How's Jayjay?" Artemis asked after a minute.

"He's fine," Holly replied, relieved and grateful for a reason to speak. "He really has taken a liking to Foaly, and won't leave him alone."

The conversation sprung into life as Artemis told Holly of his twin brothers; how smart Myles was, how… _interesting_ Beckett was.

"Beckett isn't quite a genius, but some of the things he says are so farfetched, it proves his imagination is larger than most young children," Artemis explained.

"Who has replaced Professor Primate?" Holly asked, smiling. Artemis grimaced.

"Professor Primate has been replaced by Amazing Artemis," Artemis said, seeming to force himself to say the words.

Holly laughed. "A mini you?"

Artemis nodded.

"It truly is me in miniature, except Myles used his own voice and Beckett's to record the doll's speech, so it now says things like, "Artemis simple-toon," "Let's learn another boring lesson," and, my favorite, "Beckett, stop messing with the recorder!"

Holly smiled. "I'd love to meet them… see them," she said, the smile dropping from her lips as she remembered her species. Artemis nodded sympathetically.

"If we dress you as a child, you may be able to meet Myles," he said. "Myles is very trustworthy, and will keep quiet if he figures out who you are."

Holly shrugged. "It's easier for me to just shield around them. I think Myles already knows about me, remember?"

Artemis frowned, remembering the incident; Holly had come over to pick up a special concoction Artemis had whipped up for Jayjay; Lemur Chow, as Holly put it. Artemis's word for it was far too long and complicated, and Holly doubted that Jayjay would care what it was called as long as he could eat it. Holly had unshielded for a few minutes, unaware that Myles was walking down the hall, getting back from his violin lesson.

As Holly had flown out the window, Myles had waltzed into the room, and shouted, "Artemis! Look!" Artemis had glanced at the window, and said, "Yes Myles, I see the crow," in a bored tone, while his heart skipped a few beats.

"Maybe you should just shield," Artemis agreed. Holly nodded.

The two stood. "We should really be going, I don't want to give that creep any extra time to track us," Artemis said, lifting his bag to his shoulder. "Come on."

Artemis began to walk, when suddenly a very heavy rock collided with his skull. "OW!" he shouted, wheeling around. Holly was looking at Artemis, terrified.

"You can't!" she screamed, hurling another rock at Artemis. He ducked, shouting, "Holly, snap out of it! Stop!"

Holly grabbed her own arm, throwing herself against a tree. She gasped in pain, and hurled another rock at Artemis. He shouted at his friend in vain.

Artemis looked at Holly's arm; just as he had predicted, the golden chain was circling round her shoulder, making its way to her head. Artemis lunged at Holly, knocking her to the ground.

The elf was confused for a few moments, a rock in her hand. Artemis knocked the stone to the ground, grabbing at the chain. His fingers closed around it, and the world disintegrated.

Artemis was suddenly transported into Holly's hallucination. He watched through Holly's eyes as five Extinctionists shot different animals. Tigers, leopards, and monkeys slumped to the earth, dead. Holly hurled rocks at the Extinctionists' heads, which laughed.

"Look at the fairy," One laughed. "Using rocks as weapons, like a savage! We shall kill her next."

Jayjay appeared in the palm of the largest Extinctionists' hand. It screeched, able to speak Gnommish.

"Holly, help me!" he screamed in a high voice. "Don't let them kill me! You would have gone back in time for nothing!"

The large man gripped Jayjay, saying, "But it wouldn't have been for nothing, right? There was still"-

"Shut UP!" Holly screamed, leaped at the man. Artemis felt his real body slam into the ground as Holly attacked him, but he couldn't let go of the chain.

There was a gunshot, and Jayjay fell to the earth, whispering, "You're a failure. What would your mother say?"

The hallucination ended. Artemis was back in the real world, with Holly on his chest, beating his face and shoulders. She froze, eyes clearing.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered. "I felt you. How much did you see?"

"Enough," Artemis said, stunned. "I'm sorry, Holly. I didn't know what you went through. That must've been hell."

"It's all my worst fears!" Holly said miserably. "I don't understand it!"

"I grabbed on to a chain that came from your wound," Artemis explained. "I don't know exactly what it is, but maybe if we can remove it, the hallucinations will stop."

Holly looked sick. "A chain coming from my wound? What do you mean?"

"I don't really know," Artemis admitted. "It looked like a thin golden chain, and it moved like a snake. It sort of… dissipated, and melted into your wound."

"Let's keep moving," Holly said, her face paler than normal. She kept glancing at her arm, looking ill. Artemis was a bit worried about the wound, and suggested Holly changed the bandage again before they left. She obliged.

"I wonder why the third warning never came," Holly mused, wincing as Artemis wrapped a new bandage around her arm tightly. Artemis smiled bitterly.

"We've bypassed the offer twice; I think this villain wants us to suffer. Then, when the final offer arrives, we will be beaten and desperate for the nightmare to stop."

Holly sighed. "I take it you have some sort of plan?"

Artemis nodded. "If the hallucinations continue, which I am 97 percent sure they will, that snakelike thing shall reappear. We must capture it, and destroy it."

Holly gritted her teeth. "So I'm supposed to try to let the hallucinations continue?"

Artemis shrugged. "What choice do you have? It isn't like there is a way to stop them."

Holly frowned. "There must be a way to block them out, it would be a lot easier then catching the chain… thing."

"Yes, but finding a way to block them will take precious time," Artemis explained. "I have a mechanism that might be able to trap that thing. It looks like a normal jar, except it has a miniature vacuum-like device inside that clings on to the supernatural, like spirits."

Holly sighed. "That sounds a lot like a device Foaly has been working on."

Artemis quickly changed the subject. "All I have to do is aim the mechanism at the chain, and we can easily keep it at bay. Is there any way to activate the hallucinations?"

"My first hallucination was of dropping you, which was my greatest fear at the time," Holly said slowly, grudgingly. "Find something that scares me, and I guarantee that snake thing will take it from there."

Artemis was eying Holly a bit guiltily, his eyes darting from her to the wooden box they had carried the electronics in.

"Aren't you claustrophobic?"


	8. Chapter 9

"No way."  
**A pretty short chapter, but I promise I'll update soon. I've been really busy writing my iCarly fanfiction. ******

"Holly, you have to understand, we must destroy whatever is in your wound, it will only be for a few minutes!"

"Yes, a few minutes jammed inside a tiny wooden box!"

Artemis was holding the emptied wooden crate, looking very sympathetic.

"I know how horrible this must seem, but we must destroy"-

"And how will you reach the stupid chain, with me locked up inside a crate?" Holly snapped, her shoulders hunched, her arms crossed. Artemis couldn't suppress a tiny sigh.

"Well, you obviously will not be trapped in the box for very long! You will break free of it. I know how powerful your fists and feet are, believe me," Artemis concluded dryly. Holly's famed fists looked ready to punch Artemis right in the mouth.

"You don't seem to understand, Fowl," Holly said, her teeth grinding slightly. "If my hallucinations are my worst fears or experiences, then I will obviously be seeing my mother die."

"I understand, Holly," Artemis said softly. "If there was another way, believe me…"

"Believe me, believe me, you've been saying that quite a lot lately!" Holly said angrily. "Artemis, you don't know what I've been going through, and you seem to think you're the expert on these hallucinations!"

"I saw your last hallucination, remember?" Artemis said, infuriatingly calm. "I know how horrible it was for you."

"But that's just it, you don't know, you just see!" Holly said, sighing. "That wasn't your fear, so obviously it didn't affect you the way it affected me!"

"Holly, please, you're being quite unprofessional," Artemis said sharply. "It's one more bad dream, and you wake up for good."

Holly finally succumbed, giving Artemis her legendary glare. Artemis set the crate on the ground by Holly's feet, opening the lid to reveal a musty and very unappealing space. Holly gingerly stepped inside, sitting in a very awkward position, hugging her knees like Grub Kelp did when Jayjay nipped his ear.

Holly managed to curl herself into a very tight ball, lying sideways in the crate, her knees connecting with her chin.

"Maybe we should rethink this," Holly said wildly, her voice exceptionally high, as Artemis took the cover and placed it over the crate, sealing Holly inside.

"Holly, I'm right here. It's fine. You'll be out before you know it," Artemis said soothingly. Holly certainly did not think it was fine.

"Get me out of here!" she screamed, ramming the sides of the box with her elbows and feet. The darkness swirled around her, the horrible cave-like smell filling her nose, she couldn't stretch, couldn't move, and yet no hallucination came to rescue Holly from her miniscule prison.

It hurt Artemis deeply to watch the crate rattle and shake, hearing Holly scream. The only thing that kept him from tearing the lid off and scooping her out of the dusty box was the hope that this would never have to happen again, that they would destroy whatever it was that was making Holly hallucinate in the first place.

"ARTEMIS, I'M NOT HALLUCINATING!" Holly shouted, banging once more on the side of the crate. Artemis's face appeared in a hole in the side of the crate, his cold smile stretching his face.

"You're not, eh?" he said, flicking the side of the box with a fingernail. "Well, I know how we can solve that."

The box began to tighten in on Holly, the cracks and holes in the crate sealing themselves shut. Holly's muffled scream barely reached her own ears as the contracting crate forced her to conserve her air.

Artemis, the true Artemis, stood just outside the crate, murmuring, "It's all right, you're fine," over and over, biting on his knuckles to stop his hands from tearing the crate apart.

"Artemis, I'm not hallucinating!" Holly yelled. Artemis sighed in relief, and yanked the cover off the crate. But something was wrong. Holly was staring at the side of the crate in horror, apparently listening to a nonexistent voice. Suddenly, she began to pull herself into a tighter ball as though the walls were closing in around her. Her own hand covered her mouth as she screamed.

Artemis lifted Holly from the box, although it didn't help. Holly's muscles were locked in the same cramped position, her hand still clamped over her mouth. Artemis saw a glitter of gold on Holly's arm.

"There you are," he murmured, aiming his spirit-sucking contraption at the golden snake-like chain. Artemis flicked the on switch, and the chain began slipping from Holly's shoulder, a single golden loop detaching itself and flying into the jar. The chain snaked back around Holly's arm, dissolving into the possessed wound.

Holly twitched and gasped, her eyes flickering open. "Artemis," she muttered. "Did you get the chain?"

"A bit of it," Artemis admitted. "I'm sorry, Holly, it's too powerful for my small invention. I'll experiment on the bit I captured."

Holly shuddered. "I was right, you know. It was about my mother. It didn't start out that way, it started with you trapping me in this crate that kept contracting, but the scenario changed. I was in the submarine where my mother died, and…"

Holly convulsed and gasped, choking out the words, "…and I killed her! Pushed her out of the submarine!"

"It was a dream, a hallucination," Artemis said quietly, making a movement to hug Holly, but she pulled away.

"We're not trying it again, understand?" she said, pulling herself together. "I refuse."

Artemis nodded. "It would be pointless, anyway. My machine is obviously not strong enough to capture whatever that chain is. I am going to experiment on the bit I managed to tear away. Are you going to be okay?"

"I'm fine, Artemis!" Holly snapped. "I think I might lie down for a while. I hope you find out what that thing is."

Artemis began his experiments, and Holly made her way inside the tent. As she had dreading, a note lay on her sleeping bag.

Hello, Holly.

Well, that didn't go as planned, did it? Artemis only managed to capture some of my great invention! I enjoyed the scene immensely; you are quite the little fighter.

This is your last chance to give yourself up. Come now, be reasonable! You have just been running across the continent, you don't even have a plan! It would be easier just to give up now, because I guarantee Artemis will come up with a different plan to capture my precious invention. That plan will certainly involve you experiencing serious mental pain.

Tonight at eleven, right outside your tent. Come, or Artemis has kissed his brothers goodnight for the last time.

Or didn't I tell you? Myles and Beckett are now my captives. I intend to kill one, just to show you I am not joking. Don't believe me? Maybe this will change your mind.

A small hologram shone in front of Holly's eyes, showing Myles and Beckett crying, tied together and sitting on a cave floor. Their captor was cloaked and hidden. Holly ran a quick test on the hologram with a special tool Foaly had given her; Myles and Beckett were actually in the same place as their captor; the creep hadn't played with the footage. The two were in real danger.

Give it up, girl.  
Sincerely,  
A Nightmare You Won't Wake Up From.

Holly stared at the note for a very long time, finally smashing the hologram as it replayed over and over again. Myles and Beckett were captured? It was obvious their captor would kill both without shedding a tear if it came to that. Holly couldn't allow it.

"Artemis!" she called, walking over to Artemis's mini outdoors lab. His hand was closed around the golden loop, his eyes glassed over. A few wires were connected to his temples and wrists.

"Artemis, wake up!" Holly shouted, ripping the wires from Artemis's pressure points. As much as Holly was worried for Artemis's sake, she was terrified that Artemis was seeing some sort of agonizingly embarrassing personal moment of hers. Holly had hoped Artemis would never learn this much about her, for both their sakes.

Artemis's eyes lost their glassy shine, and his pupils darted from left to right, focusing. He breathed in rhythm to calm himself, and spoke.

"I didn't know how horrible they were to you."


	9. Chapter 10

**I've started really disliking this story, I wrote it such a long time ago… so it takes me forever to upload a new chapter. Sorryyyy if any of you out there actually like it… **

"What did you see?" Holly asked nervously. Artemis shuddered.

"It was right after what most call "The Fowl Siege". A few nasty LEP workers approached you…

Holly gritted her teeth, recounting the incident.

She was working overtime, trying to show Commander Root she wasn't completely useless. That stupid Mud Boy, Fowl, might have ruined her career forever. Holly blew a lock of auburn hair from her forehead, thinking longingly of her bed. But there was work to be done.

"Hey, girlie!"

Holly swiveled around, startled. She hadn't expected anyone to still be in the building; it was very late.

Five men stood before her; three burly gnomes, one buff, blonde elf, and one mean looking brunette sprite. "You cost the LEP big money, Short!" the sprite shouted. "We'll be paying off that for years! The only reason you're still here is 'cause you're a girl!"

"Commander Root understands the situation a bit better than you do," Holly said calmly, while she inwardly panicked. These men looked murderous, and her smug comment had not helped.

"Listen, girl, I'm not sexist," the elf said smoothly. "And that's why I'm doing this. Any LEP officer who goofs up on the job needs to be taught a lesson, got it?"

Holly took in the men's faces; angry, leering, sneering mouths, cold eyes full of hatred, nostrils flaring. These men were going to try to beat her up.

Holly made a run for it; she jumped over one of the stout gnomes, racing down the hall. She had never felt like this before; so unprofessional, running from bullies.

The men easily cornered her; they had anticipated her flee to freedom. "Cough up some gold, elf," sneered a gnome. "Maybe we'll let you keep your arms."

Holly kicked at the sprite; he caught her leg calmly, twisting the ankle so Holly fell to the floor. A gnome grabbed each of her arms, twisting them behind her back. Holly kicked at her captor, yelling for help.

"No one's coming, pretty," the elf said, looking almost apologetic. half an hour, Holly was kicked, punched, and beaten in every way possible. Her eyes were blackened, her stomach bruised, her legs wobbling as she stood. She could hardly breathe, yet still she fought when she could.

Finally, she broke away, racing down the hall. Every step caused her legs to scream in protest, but she daren't stop. The elf, gnome, and sprite were running after her; their footsteps sounded terrifyingly close. She crashed into Root, who had forgotten a paper.

"Short!" he barked, noticing her appearance. "What… what happened?"

Holly couldn't speak, merely pointed behind her. The five idiots were racing down the hall, screaming, "Get back here, girl!" Root looked ready to kill.

All five were fired and sentenced to two years in prison for assault on a police officer. They swore revenge on Holly, who stood stone-faced until she was safe in her house.

"I'm sorry you saw that," Holly said stiffly. "Those men were complete imbeciles."

"Holly, you were beaten!" Artemis said, still sounding shell-shocked.

"Saying it won't change the past, Artemis," Holly said coldly. "Now run some tests and destroy that sucker."

"I already ran tests," Artemis admitted. "The stuff seems to be made of an unstable substance I've never seen before. My machines don't recognize the chemical structure or any materials."

"Right. Well, I guess you'll have to try something else," Holly said tartly, gingerly approaching the mini work station.

"I've tried all I can," Artemis sighed. "All I know is when I was watching- that, every emotion in my body was cut off. It was like all I could feel was fear. It felt like it would never end. I managed to obtain the only plausible thoughts that ran through my head during my little voyage. All I could think was, "Get me out!" "Will this never end?" and,

"All there is is darkness."

Holly was considering her options; give herself up, save Myles and Beckett, and quite possibly die at the hands of a maniac who knew how to work machinery; continue running, continue hallucinating, and be taken by force; run and pray that Artemis comes up with a plan."

We'll have to move out," Artemis said quietly, putting his hand on Holly's shoulder. "I'll gather our things."

Holly opened her mouth, longing to speak, but quickly pressed her lips together. The time was not right yet.


	10. Chapter 11

**Sorry for the uber-long wait for this chapter. I was preoccupied with a few other fandoms. This story's so old… seriously, read my newer stuff. **

Holly told Artemis about the third and final warning. She also timidly reported that Myles and Beckett were both prisoners.

"It must have been a trick," Artemis said firmly, though his eyes looked worried.

"I checked with the special video feed processor Foaly gave me (SVFP for short)," Holly told Artemis heavily. The human looked heartbroken.

"We'll make a deal with their captor, we must work something out," Artemis growled. If we can contact him, I can trace the link and find my brothers."

"Artemis," Holly said, breathing a bit faster than normal, "wouldn't it be easier if I… gave in?"

Artemis simply stared at her.

"I mean, I could fight my way out, and it's me this guy really wants, not your siblings," Holly continued.

"Holly, be reasonable," Artemis said, half laughing out of frustration. "We've gone all this way, if you gave up now, it would be a complete and total waste! This man seems smarter than, say, Spiro, and a lot nastier."

"Artemis, I'm putting all of you in danger!" Holly snapped. "It's breaking my heart to watch Juliet cower in Fowl Manor, or to see your little brothers cry at the mercy of a maniac!"

"If you haven't noticed, Holly, I care about you as much as Juliet or my immediate family!" Artemis snapped back. "And I will not let you give up, I will not let this man win!"

Holly was flooded with conflicting emotions, and made her decision. It was time, and she knew it.

"Artemis, we've been friends for a while now," Holly said awkwardly. Artemis paid no attention.

"Yes, Holly, thank you for pointing out the obscenely obvious," he said sarcastically, packing furiously.

"Yes, well," Holly plowed on, "This guy is like no other villain we've faced before. He will obviously find me, and I don't really know how much longer I have…"

"Oh, stop being so dramatic, we'll defeat this man like we've defeated all other villains," Artemis said dismissively. Holly was finding this harder than she thought it would be.

"Artemis…"

Holly broke off as Artemis looked up, an eyebrow cocked in interest.

"Yes?" he said, kinder. "What is it, Holly?"

Holly got on her knees so she was face to face with Artemis. The boy had been such a part of her life, it was like they were connected at the hip.

"D-do you ever think of us as… more than friends?" Holly stuttered, losing composure and wishing she could disappear. Which, technically, she could, but shielding would be rude.

"Yes, of course," Artemis said, his face impassive. Holly's heart leapt, until Artemis added, "I think traveling through time and space has bonded us so that we are more than friends, more like partners."

"Yes," Holly said uncomfortably, "but…" She looked into Artemis's mismatched eyes, seeing a part of herself in the boy. He was off limits, forbidden, a different species, not to mention younger, but fate had joined the two. His eyes stared back into hers, showing emotion for once.

"Don't you remember when we traveled to the past?" Holly blurted. Artemis nodded. "And when you were almost killed by that gorilla?"

Artemis looked scared. "Where are you going with this?"

"I healed you, and…" Both knew what happened next.

"Of course I remember," Artemis whispered. "How could I forget?"

Holly must have taken this the entirely wrong way, for she did something she would never have usually done; caught in a storm of bursting emotions, Holly leaned forward and kissed Artemis full on the mouth.

The kiss lasted minutes. Neither broke it; it was too incredible. The romance was forbidden and wrong, but it felt so right to be breaking these laws. Holly's mind was flitting through years of memories. She remembered standing atop a hill, presenting Artemis with a golden coin, a bullet hole in its center; watching Artemis being mind-wiped; defeating Opal Koboi; dying in Hybras, calling Artemis's name; and, of course, their latest kiss.

Artemis broke the embrace, pulling away from Holly as though she was diseased.

"What are you doing?" he shouted. Holly was taken aback.

"I thought…"

"You thought wrong, Holly Short!" Artemis snapped. "I thought you kissed me because of the teenage hormones! You told me we would start over!"

"Artemis, I…" was all Holly could stammer.

"Holly, you know I care about you, but we are friends, colleagues!" Artemis muttered, running a hand through his hair. "This is forbidden, this is wrong."

"Artemis, I may not have very long, even if it is forbidden…" Holly began, but Artemis held up a hand.

"Holly, you seem to be under the impression I feel differently about you than I actually do," Artemis said, his voice hard. "As painful as it is to tell you this, I have never felt that way about you, and doubt I ever will."

Holly looked around, begging the gods this was a hallucination. She could not believe the fates would be so cruel as to let her humiliate herself like this.

Artemis seemed to read her mind. "No hallucination this time, Holly," Artemis said quietly. "Face reality."

"We better get some sleep, we can move out tomorrow," Artemis finished, turning his back on the shattered elf. "And, Holly? Try to control yourself, for both of us."

Once Artemis was asleep, Holly staggered as far away from the tent as possible, heaving great sobs. She was humiliated, she was heartbroken, and she had probably lost her best friend forever.

Holly didn't understand it. All that time, even when they had been at the stream… she had been sure Artemis felt the same way about her. It took years for her to realize how she felt about the human, and just hours ago, Holly had acted like a lovestruck child. She felt stupid.

Holly curled upon the hill, crying. Artemis, she realized, was involved in every aspect of her life. Work, social, etc. For some reason, her small crush on Artemis had grown over the past few days; she didn't know if it was just her emotions or if the golden chain was now affecting her heart.

Holly felt a terrible wave of emotion wash over her. Artemis would never take her seriously again, but now that she thought about it, he never really did. Sure, she wasn't a genius, but she wasn't an idiot.

How would she ever talk to Artemis again? How would she ever look at him? For some reason, at that moment, he was her reason to keep living. But she had never felt this strongly about him before; she had never needed him so.

Holly held up her left arm; sure enough, the golden chain had snaked out of her enchanted wound and was curling itself around her shoulder and neck. Holly couldn't fight it; it was impossible.

A voice was whispering in her ear; to her astonishment, Holly realized it was her own voice, yet twisted and cruel.

"Artemis Fowl," the voice hissed. "The thin, vampire-like genius boy who captured both you and your heart so many years ago. Why does he mean so much to you, eh? What about the Fowl boy catches your attention so?"

A flash of blinding, conflicting memories began playing before Holly's eyes. Her eyes watered, both from the bright lights and from the sadness and hopelessness overcoming her.

"A match made in heaven," the voice mocked. "He was always the hero, you always the sidekick. It worked, did it not? Artemis gets the spotlight, and what do you get?"

Holly climbed to her feet, clearing her eyes. Standing before her was an exact copy of herself. Everything about this 'Holly' was identical to her own features, except the copy's expression. It was cold and cruel, merciless and pitiless. Though this Holly's hair shone like the moon, and seemed far more beautiful to Holly.

"You have really let yourself go," The fake Holly whispered. "Look at yourself."

And a mirror appeared from nowhere, showing Holly's disheveled features.

"It doesn't have to be this way," the clone whispered. "Come with me, and it will all end. I shall make it end. And Artemis will mourn you, and wish he had you back."

"I'm not a selfish brat," The true Holly spat, though her contemptuous voice sounded less intimidating then normal. Her clone stepped towards her.

"Artemis shall never love you. You knew that from the start, didn't you? Even now, he dreams of Minerva, the smart, pretty human who caught his eye all those years ago."

The clone twisted her slender fingers, and a projection appeared before the two. It was Artemis, sleeping in his cot. A thought bubble, looking comical and cartoon-like, popped from Artemis's head. A dream began to play in the bubble; Artemis and Minerva, in a candlelit room, kissing as Artemis and Holly had never kissed before. His hand was at her back, her hands in his hair. Holly cried out, her fist traveling through the projection, distorting Minerva's pretty features.

"What will you be to the boy if you go back now?" the clone said softly. "Why don't we see?"

A new projection appeared. It showed Holly at the door of Fowl Manor, ringing the bell repeatedly. Artemis appeared at the door, an arm around Minerva, the pair laughing.

"Oh, it's you," Artemis said, sounding disappointed. "Well, don't just stand there!" he hissed. "The neighbors will see you!"

And Holly felt her stomach drop as Artemis led her inside, knowing the human was both embarrassed at and disappointed in the elf.

The projection dissolved, leaving the two Hollys staring at each other in the cold, crisp air.

"You could turn into that," the clone said thoughtfully, "Or you could be like me."

Trouble Kelp appeared next to the fake Holly, and immediately wrapped his arms around her. "Come now, Holly," he spoke to the real Holly, "don't be stupid."

Holly watched as the two terrible copies embraced, their love strong but selfish, only wanting an equally attractive and powerful lover. She shook her head, trying to clear her mind. The chain snaked round her neck, addling her brain.

"Leave him, and this is your future," a small voice said in her ear. A movie seemed to play in Holly's mind, showing the elf as Commander of the LEP, married to Trouble, and looking incredible. Artemis Fowl was a nobody to The People, who cared only for Holly. Fifteen minutes of these scenes later, Holly was dazed and very suggestible.

"Come," a voice whispered, and Holly, still very punch drunk and thinking of nothing but Artemis Fowl's flaws, took her copy's hand and disappeared from the night. The hand squeezed hers tightly, the nails cutting Holly's palm, bringing her to a place of no escape.


	11. Chapter 12

Artemis's Perspective

Artemis placed his instruments carefully in their cases, blowing a raven lock from his pale forehead. Where to run next? Surely no where near Fowl Manor; they couldn't return there until this man was caught.

Artemis heard Holly's voice from over his shoulder. "Artemis, we've been friends for a while now."

"Yes, Holly, thank you for pointing out the obscenely obvious," Artemis snapped, his shoulders hunched. To be honest, ever since the little stream incident, he was afraid to talk to Holly about any personal matter.

Holly did not take the hint. "Yes, well," she continued, "This guy is like no other villain we've faced before. He will obviously find me, and I don't really know how much longer I have…"

Artemis felt his throat close. Holly had voiced his very concern.

"Oh, stop being so dramatic, we'll defeat this man like we've defeated all other villains," he said dismissively, his voice harder than he had meant it to be.

"Artemis…"

Artemis looked up, forcing himself to stare directly at Holly's pretty features. He had managed to hide his emotions behind a poker face for his entire life. Why couldn't he hide behind this emotional mask now?

"Yes, what is it, Holly?" Artemis said kindly, trying to make up for his cold shoulder.

Holly got on her knees so she was face to face with Artemis. The boy could smell pine trees; Holly's hair was sticky with sap. He had no idea how she had gotten sap in her hair, but it smelled wonderful, and made her look even better. Of course, whatever Holly looked like, Artemis still found her beautiful. And now he was so close to her, he could see every pointed feature of her face perfectly.

"D-do you ever think of us as… more than friends?" Holly stuttered. _Only every day._

"Yes, of course," Artemis said, his face impassive. "I think traveling through time and space has bonded us so that we are more than friends, more like partners." _What am I saying? What is Holly saying? I couldn't be more confused._

"Yes," Holly said uncomfortably, "but…"

She stared into Artemis's eyes, her mismatched irises filled with passion and confusion. Artemis looked deep into Holly's mesmerizing eyes, and realized the horrible truth. She felt the same way. This should have been a joyous moment for the boy, but all he could feel was sadness. He couldn't let it happen; he must once again lie, and save them both.

"Don't you remember when we traveled to the past?" Holly blurted.

_She cares. Don't ruin this. Don't waste it. Remember what Foaly told you; she doesn't know if she can trust you. Don't crush her again._

Artemis nodded, straining to keep a straight face.

"And when you were almost killed by that gorilla?"

Artemis tried to look intimidated. Maybe Holly would take the hint and save them both from this nightmare. "Where are you going with this?"

"I healed you, and…" Both knew what happened next.

"Of course I remember," Artemis whispered. "How could I forget?" Emotion accidentally slipped into Artemis's voice, filling every syllable with unmistakable passion and kindness.

_What have I done?_

Holly's face lit up, relief washing over her pretty features. Artemis loved that look; she was content and relaxed, no longer the uptight police officer she was forced to be most of the time. But, no, he must stop her, he mustn't let this happen, it was wrong and forbidden.

But wasn't that what Artemis Fowl was all about? Things that were off limits.

Artemis took in Holly's happy features, knowing he would probably never see this look again. Her eyes, sparkling with either joy or tears, framed by long, black lashes; her cherubic mouth, drawing closer to his own, the lips parted slightly and quavering; her hair, long and shining, still covered with tree sap (Holly had probably been saving a clumsy squirrel); her chestnut skin, glowing with health, flawless.

Holly leaned forward, pressing her lips against Artemis's. The boy felt his icy composure shatter like a dropped mirror, leaving him feeling like a normal boy should when kissed by a pretty girl; warm, fuzzy, and completely carefree. He felt their knees knock together, feeling as though he was making up for lost childhood. Holly had always treated him like a child, and though Artemis had hated it then, he realized Holly had been trying to help Artemis salvage his remaining childhood time.

Artemis made the mistake of kissing Holly back, their lips moving together in synchronization, enjoying the moment. This could never work, Artemis knew that too well. He had to act now. He would have to tell the worst lie he had ever told.

Artemis embraced the elf for one last burning second before pulling away like the girl was diseased.

"What are you doing?" he shouted, covering his sadness with a burst of anger. It had always worked before. Holly seemed taken aback. Her happy look froze for a puzzled moment; the moment of realization.

"I thought…"

"You thought wrong, Holly Short!" Artemis snapped, watching Holly's pretty eyes widen in surprise. "I thought you kissed me because of the teenage hormones! You told me we would start over!"

"Artemis, I…" was all Holly could stammer.

"Holly, you know I care about you, but we are friends, colleagues!" Artemis muttered, running a hand through his hair. "This is forbidden, this is wrong." He was mostly telling himself this; it was far too late to salvage the relationship, if you could call it that.

"Artemis, I may not have very long, even if it is forbidden…" Holly began, but Artemis held up a hand.

"Holly, you seem to be under the impression I feel differently about you than I actually do," Artemis said. "As painful as it is to tell you this, I have never felt that way about you, and doubt I ever will." There it was. Set in stone.

Holly looked around, blinking rapidly. She seemed to be clearing her eyes. Artemis painfully realized she thought this was a hallucination.

"No hallucination this time, Holly," Artemis said quietly. "Face reality." _If you do, I'll try to. It'll take some guts to face you hating me._

"We better get some sleep, we can move out tomorrow," Artemis finished, turning his back on his horrified friend. "And, Holly? Try to control yourself, for both of us."

Holly spent the night outside, while Artemis lay in his cot, tears spilling bitterly over his face. He had broken Holly's heart. But it was worse than that; he had humiliated her. It had taken all of her courage to admit her feelings, and he had shut her down cruelly.

It wasn't fair, it wasn't right, but it had to be done. Artemis had so many enemies, dating wasn't really an option for him. He had turned down Minerva as well, and as painful as that had been, it was like ripping off a Bandaid compared to what he had gone through just hours ago.

Artemis shifted in his cot, willing himself to sleep. He had to be well rested; it would not do for him to be drowsy if there was an emergency, say, this maniac comes to collect Holly. The third warning had come, after all.

Just as Artemis had finally drifted into a light sleep, he heard a piercing scream. He bolted upright, collecting his thoughts and analyzing the problem. It was very possible that this was a ruse, the oldest trick in the book; but Holly was not in the tent, and from a quick look outside, Artemis knew she was not in the vicinity. She was in danger. The man had come.

Artemis bolted along the path, wise enough not to scream Holly's name, but listened for any sound whatsoever. An occasional murmur led him in the right direction, but there were no more screams, thankfully.

Finally, Artemis could go no further. He had walked to a very large hill, and there were no paths other than the one he had come from. In fact, there was a very large drop to one side.

A terrifying thought struck Artemis, and he clamored to the side of the hill, squinting at the ground below. Though he could not see very well, Artemis was almost positive Holly had not fallen; surely she would heal herself, and the sparks were impossible to miss.

Suddenly, a loud, electronic beep cut through the night air. Artemis spun around to find a small computer-like device sitting five feet away from him on the ground. He walked tentatively toward it. It had only beeped once, so it probably wasn't a bomb of any sort. Even if it was, he had a modified foldable parachute in his right pocket if he had to flee over the edge of the cliff.

Artemis knelt by the device; the overgrown grass tickled the edges of the machine, dew droplets blurring the screen. Artemis extended his pointer finger and touched a small red dot in the middle of the screen. A series of loud beeps filled Artemis's ears, and for a second he thought he'd been stupid enough to set off a bomb, but the screen stopped beeping and displayed a page of typed print. It read:

Bravo, Mr. Fowl! By destroying Holly emotionally, you drove her directly into my outstretched arms! I didn't think you could be this gullible. Now that I have your elfin friend, I can taunt you without restraint and without the fear you might pick up on a clue to who I am. Let the fun begin.

I never expected Holly to turn herself over; well, to be more specific, I knew you would never allow it. I know all about you, Artemis. I've been watching you for years. I know how your mind works. I knew that you would flee with Holly, that instinct of yours dulled by your love for your friend. So I sat back and enjoyed the show, watching with distinct pleasure the expression you get when Holly experiences a hallucination. Sort of a 'lost child' look. To see you so helpless and terrified is heaven for a person like me.

Over the next twenty four hours, Holly Short will experience severe pain. Most of it will be psychological. There is nothing you can do. I want you to suffer, knowing your friend is being hurt and there is nothing you can do about it. In exactly twenty four hours, I will send you all the information you need.

As you probably guessed, I want you as much as I want Holly. But I know that you are not stupid. You are anything but stupid. Getting your friend back will be a challenge; if you fail, you both die. Think of it as a game. Right now, I have the upper hand. I've had the upper hand for nine years, without you even knowing it. But in the blink of an eye, you could be on top.

I looked forward to finally meeting you face to face, Artemis Fowl. What you see may surprise you.

Sincerely,

A Nightmare You Won't Wake Up From.

Artemis stared at the little screen until his eyes watered. They had Holly. After all they had gone through, she had been taken, and it was all his fault. Whoever he was facing, it was obvious they were an intellectual equal.

This villain truly was unlike any villain he had ever faced before. Opal Koboi may be a genius, but she was twisted and gullible. Jon Spiro's only weapon was his money and electronics. Cudgeon had been too easy to take out.

For some reason, Artemis found himself anticipating the meeting with Holly's captor. This person was incredibly cruel and clever, just the person his ten year old self would admire.

Speaking of which, didn't the note say that the captor had 'had the upper hand for nine years'?


	12. Chapter 13

**Sorry I haven't updated in... *checks* TWO MONTHS? TWO FREAKING MONTHS? I am a very lazy person.**

**I owe anyone who reads this fic a whole lot of chapters. So that's what I'll do; update. Update like hell.**

~*~

For twenty four hours, Artemis Fowl sank into a deep depression.

This, of course, is what Holly's captor had wanted. This person had known Artemis couldn't stand feeling helpless, but this was a new low for him. He hadn't the tools or the information to track Holly down, and could only sit and think miserably of the torture Holly must be going through.

The day slipped silently past. Artemis hadn't eaten a thing, and was feeling very weak. It was an hour to midnight, about the time Artemis should receive information on Holly's whereabouts.

Artemis heard a noise outside. He jumped up, clutching Holly's stun gun. He crept outside to find a blank sheet of paper lying in the dirt.

Artemis stared at the paper. He turned it over with his toe. It was completely blank; there were no directions, no map, and certainly no information on Holly's health. Artemis could feel his anger rising. This man had probably killed Holly the minute he captured her, and just wanted to see Artemis sweat it out for a day.

Artemis grabbed the paper, ripping it in half. Immediately, he knew he had done something he would later regret. A cool female voice filled the air. "Do not fight it. Let it overcome you. Do not fight it. Let it overcome you."

Artemis dropped the paper and ran as fast as he could, but the voice only became louder. "Do not fight it. Let it overcome you."

The boy pressed his hands to his ears, but the voice seemed to be inside his head. His train of thought slipped off the rails, and Artemis sank to his knees.

"Do not fight it. Let it overcome you."

"NO!" Artemis shouted. He kept thinking about Holly, how there would be no chance for her if he succumbed to the voice.

"I'll take you to her," the calming voice said. "Just let it overcome you. Give up. Give up."

Artemis began breathing very fast, not wanting to trust the bodiless voice.

"Give up. Less pain. You'll see her again. Let go. Give up," the voice chanted. It wasn't inside Artemis's head, it was inside his very being, telling his body what to do. Close, it said to the eyes. Drop, it said to his head. Relax, it said to each muscle. Soon, Artemis was splayed upon the ground, his shallow breathing calm and rhythmic. Once every muscle had succumbed to the voice, every particle of Artemis's being split and dissolved.

Artemis reassembled fifteen minutes later in a large stone room. He was bent double, coughing and choking. He felt as though someone had thrown him in a washing machine.

Once Artemis's airways and eyes were clear, he took in his surroundings. He was in a cave, or at least a part of a cave. A single passage, ominous and dark, was to Artemis's right.

Voices floated through the dark passageway.

"He won't come. He's smarter than that, and you know it."

Artemis's breath caught in his throat. Holly?

"Yes, I know that usually he would be smart enough to stay out of an obvious trap; but he cares so much for you, I don't think it will matter."

Artemis sped down the dark corridor as fast and as silent as he could. The gypsy's prophecy was being fulfilled.

"He doesn't care. Not at all."

Artemis began to run, hoping he could save Holly from any more pain. Artemis entered a large cavern, opening his eyes very wide to help them adjust to the dark.

"But dear, don't you remember that's just your imagination? Even though it might seem real, it's all in your head."

Artemis saw them. In the middle of the stone floor sat Holly, shaking with anger, face and arms bruised horribly. Her long hair had been cut or perhaps torn out. It was now shoulder length and extremely dirty.

"It's in my head 24/7, thanks to you," Holly muttered, just loud enough for Artemis to hear. Artemis crept, unseen, along the edge of the cavern, not sure how to help his friend.

And then it was too late. Holly's captor conjured the strange golden chain and thrust it around her. Holly yelled and collapsed, unconscious, and the cloaked figure disappeared. Artemis ran to Holly's side, gripping her shoulder.

"Holly," he whispered. "Oh, Holly, I'm so sorry. I've been so stupid."

The elf appeared not to hear her friend. She stayed motionless, her lips pressed together so hard they turned white. Artemis raked his eyes over Holly's still form, searching for the illusive chain. It was nowhere to be found.

"Snap out of it, Holly," Artemis hissed, his heart aching. "We can still escape."

"No, I don't think you can," a cool, amused voice said quietly. Artemis spun around to find the cloaked figure standing before him.

It was obvious enough the person was female by the way the cloak fell on her body, although Artemis could not see her face. The hood covered her hair and half of her face.

"Why, don't you recognize me?" the woman said, her mouth twisted into a cruel smile. "Of course, we've only met once, face to face."

Artemis knew that voice, but from where? He instinctively took Holly's still frame in his arms as the girl stepped forward.

"Well, if you're going to draw a blank on my voice, I think this might refresh your memory," the woman said icily. She threw back her hood to reveal…

~*~

For twenty four hours, Artemis Fowl sank into a deep depression.

This, of course, is what Holly's captor had wanted. This person had known Artemis couldn't stand feeling helpless, but this was a new low for him. He hadn't the tools or the information to track Holly down, and could only sit and think miserably of the torture Holly must be going through.

The day slipped silently past. Artemis hadn't eaten a thing, and was feeling very weak. It was an hour to midnight, about the time Artemis should receive information on Holly's whereabouts.

Artemis heard a noise outside. He jumped up, clutching Holly's stun gun. He crept outside to find a blank sheet of paper lying in the dirt.

Artemis stared at the paper. He turned it over with his toe. It was completely blank; there were no directions, no map, and certainly no information on Holly's health. Artemis could feel his anger rising. This man had probably killed Holly the minute he captured her, and just wanted to see Artemis sweat it out for a day.

Artemis grabbed the paper, ripping it in half. Immediately, he knew he had done something he would later regret. A cool female voice filled the air. "Do not fight it. Let it overcome you. Do not fight it. Let it overcome you."

Artemis dropped the paper and ran as fast as he could, but the voice only became louder. "Do not fight it. Let it overcome you."

The boy pressed his hands to his ears, but the voice seemed to be inside his head. His train of thought slipped off the rails, and Artemis sank to his knees.

"Do not fight it. Let it overcome you."

"NO!" Artemis shouted. He kept thinking about Holly, how there would be no chance for her if he succumbed to the voice.

"I'll take you to her," the calming voice said. "Just let it overcome you. Give up. Give up."

Artemis began breathing very fast, not wanting to trust the bodiless voice.

"Give up. Less pain. You'll see her again. Let go. Give up," the voice chanted. It wasn't inside Artemis's head, it was inside his very being, telling his body what to do. Close, it said to the eyes. Drop, it said to his head. Relax, it said to each muscle. Soon, Artemis was splayed upon the ground, his shallow breathing calm and rhythmic. Once every muscle had succumbed to the voice, every particle of Artemis's being split and dissolved.

Artemis reassembled fifteen minutes later in a large stone room. He was bent double, coughing and choking. He felt as though someone had thrown him in a washing machine.

Once Artemis's airways and eyes were clear, he took in his surroundings. He was in a cave, or at least a part of a cave. A single passage, ominous and dark, was to Artemis's right.

Voices floated through the dark passageway.

"He won't come. He's smarter than that, and you know it."

Artemis's breath caught in his throat. Holly?

"Yes, I know that usually he would be smart enough to stay out of an obvious trap; but he cares so much for you, I don't think it will matter."

Artemis sped down the dark corridor as fast and as silent as he could. The gypsy's prophecy was being fulfilled.

"He doesn't care. Not at all."

Artemis began to run, hoping he could save Holly from any more pain. Artemis entered a large cavern, opening his eyes very wide to help them adjust to the dark.

"But dear, don't you remember that's just your imagination? Even though it might seem real, it's all in your head."

Artemis saw them. In the middle of the stone floor sat Holly, shaking with anger, face and arms bruised horribly. Her long hair had been cut or perhaps torn out. It was now shoulder length and extremely dirty.

"It's in my head 24/7, thanks to you," Holly muttered, just loud enough for Artemis to hear. Artemis crept, unseen, along the edge of the cavern, not sure how to help his friend.

And then it was too late. Holly's captor conjured the strange golden chain and thrust it around her. Holly yelled and collapsed, unconscious, and the cloaked figure disappeared. Artemis ran to Holly's side, gripping her shoulder.

"Holly," he whispered. "Oh, Holly, I'm so sorry. I've been so stupid."

The elf appeared not to hear her friend. She stayed motionless, her lips pressed together so hard they turned white. Artemis raked his eyes over Holly's still form, searching for the illusive chain. It was nowhere to be found.

"Snap out of it, Holly," Artemis hissed, his heart aching. "We can still escape."

"No, I don't think you can," a cool, amused voice said quietly. Artemis spun around to find the cloaked figure standing before him.

It was obvious enough the person was female by the way the cloak fell on her body, although Artemis could not see her face. The hood covered her hair and half of her face.

"Why, don't you recognize me?" the woman said, her mouth twisted into a cruel smile. "Of course, we've only met once, face to face."

Artemis knew that voice, but from where? He instinctively took Holly's still frame in his arms as the girl stepped forward.

"Well, if you're going to draw a blank on my voice, I think this might refresh your memory," the woman said icily. She threw back her hood to reveal…

Esperanza stood before Artemis, her long blonde hair framing her pale face. She no longer looked friendly and kind, more cruel and spiteful.

"Surprised, Fowl?" Esperanza spat. Artemis clutched Holly tightly, stumbling over the elf's body as he struggled to stand and run.

Esperanza twitched her head, and every entrance into the cavern seemed to crust over with solid rock. Artemis pounded his fists angrily against a sealed escape route. He turned slowly to find Esperanza smiling at him expectantly.

"Aren't deranged villains supposed to explain their plans before killing the valiant heroes?" Artemis said dryly, holding Holly like a rag doll. Esperanza chuckled. The sound was metallic and bitter.

"Well, usually the deranged villain would either be stupid and careless like Jon Spiro, or smart and demented like Opal Koboi," Esperanza said smartly, watching with relish as Artemis's face went slack with shock.

"Yes, Fowl, I know a lot about you," Esperanza quipped. "But before I explain my plans, why don't we get you two comfortable?"

Metallic arms sprung from the ground. Two pried Holly out of Artemis's arms, as four more restrained Artemis's limbs. He cried out as Holly was slammed rather hardly into the ground. She was forced upright by the arms holding her, which tied themselves around her arms and legs. Artemis's limbs were soon in the same position.

"There we go!" Esperanza said brightly. Artemis stared up into the gypsy's face. If looks could kill, Esperanza would surely be dead.

"Let me start from the beginning," Esperanza began, her smile awkward as though she had not smiled in years. "I am not from this time. There is no Esperanza Larkin in this time. I am from a different time, a time you might remember.

"I was at the top of my game; I was a millionaire, I had a respected, powerful husband, and I was doing what I did best; scheming, planning, and killing. And then _you_ came along.

"Little Artemis Fowl sold my husband a Silky Sifika Lemur. That's right, Fowl, I was married to Damon Kronski. Not that I loved him, but he was a powerful man. But my husband didn't show up at the big Extinctionists meeting with a lemur; he showed up with a fairy.

"The night was going perfectly until the trial. A man defended the fairy creature and won. The party was in chaos, but I stayed calm. I watched as the fairy was freed by the man who defended her. The fairy shimmered out of sight, and I knew my husband had been right.

"I was ruined. My husband went insane, and I left him. My soul purpose in life was to catch and kill that fairy and her companion. I went after Artemis Fowl first; the ten year old boy from my time. I was always a smart woman; you could call me a genius, though I find that bragging. I managed to break into his mansion. In the dead of night, I drugged the boy and asked him many questions. It was obvious he knew something, but was reluctant to give information. After hours of intense psychological probing, I had what I needed to know.

"I returned the following night and forced Fowl to help me. We reconstructed the time portal you used to transport yourself to my time. Fowl had been touched by magical beings and still had the sparks lingering on his skin. Do not ask me how, but I believe he attempted to steal magic. The signal from his skin was enough to transport me to your time. It took years, but I figured out how to manipulate time.

"How, you say, did a human with no connection to magic learn to manipulate time? Simple. I found a small fairylike creature in a field. He was drunk and lost, and I automatically knew what he was. I gagged him and hid him, and not a moment too soon; fairy police, it seemed, arrived minutes after we hid.

"The rest of the story is my own little secret, and maybe if you're good, I will tell it to you before you die," Esperanza finished, still smiling. Artemis was open-mouthed, staring at Esperanza as though she was the most repulsive slime on the earth.

"You're an Extinctionist?" Artemis gulped. Esperanza nodded.

"After going back in time, I did find out that a pixie had controlled my husband," Esperanza said, examining a fingernail. "I was so furious at Damon I murdered him in the asylum. Well, enough chit-chat. It's time for you to see what Holly has been going through. It's only fair, correct?"

Artemis couldn't answer; he just stared at Esperanza, hugging Holly ever closer. The gypsy rolled her eyes.

"Your friend's fine, Fowl. See?" To prove it, she murmured something under her breath, and Holly's eyes snapped open.

"Where… Artemis?" she said, amazed, looking up into the human's face. Artemis half laughed in relief.

"I'm here, Holly, we'll find a way out of this," Artemis promised.

"You came," the elf said gratefully. Artemis smiled, until she added, "you fool. You've doomed us both. We'll never make it out of here."

"We will, we will!" Artemis protested, helping Holly to her knees. She winced, and Artemis noticed new scratches and bruises along her jaw line.

"Well, Holly, isn't this nice?" Esperanza teased lightly. "This time you'll have a friend to hold your hand while you die!"

"What are you going to do to him?" Holly asked, tensing. Her left hand gripped Artemis's arm tightly.

"Oh, the usual, and you'll be there to watch!" the Extinctionist said, laughing at the expression on Holly's face. "Oh, come now, it's not that bad! You're still here, aren't you?"

Holly didn't answer, turning to face Artemis, her eyes wide and pained.

"You listen to me, Mud Boy," Holly whispered frantically. "I don't care what you've been through, it's nothing like what's about to happen. I just want you to know that none of it is real, and I'm right here with you. And I'm very sorry for before, you know, I really am-,"

But Holly never got a chance to finish her sentence; Artemis pulled her closer to him, crushing her lips to his. He didn't care that the deranged gypsy behind them was laughing, releasing the golden chain that would take him on a ride through his own personal hell; all that mattered was Holly, closer to him now than she had ever been, wanting him as much as he needed her.

"Freaks," Esperanza muttered, watching as the chain pulled around the two entwined friends.

Artemis yelled, wrenching himself away from Holly, feeling the gold press against his skull, absorbing his thoughts, his memories. Holly was rigid on the floor, watching sadly as Artemis twisted in agony.

"Have a good time!" Esperanza shouted, and the two collapsed on the floor, Artemis's mouth still open in a silent scream.


	13. Chapter 14

**This chapter is actually long. W00t. **

**~*~**

Artemis landed on a solid surface. His eyes flickered open; the floor beneath him was pure white, stretching on forever.

In fact, the whole world around him was white; a never ending sea of bland color. There was no ceiling or walls; just whiteness.

Artemis searched around, scanning the odd dimension for a sign of… anything. Seconds (or hours- he wasn't sure) later, Holly appeared beside him, breathing heavily.

"Holly, what is this place?" Artemis asked. Holly squinted into the distance.

"This is where it begins; soon, Esperanza will switch the scenery, and we will be transported into either your worst memories, or an interpretation of your worst fears," Holly said, almost casually. "It will start out slow, but then the memories and experiences will flash by in the blink of an eye, so you can think of nothing but the worst."

Artemis nodded curtly, his mouth pressed into a thin line. This truly was unlike anything he'd ever experienced. Holly watched him anxiously.

"I'll be here," she reminded him. "I'll be right here the entire time, no matter what."

"You don't know how much that helps," Artemis said quietly. Holly stared at him, confused.

"I don't understand," she said slowly. Artemis bowed his head.

"I love you, Holly. I love you more than anything else in the world, and I don't deserve you, not after all I've done to you. I had to lie, to pretend; I have so many enemies, Holly, it would never be safe. Besides, it's forbidden, unthinkable. But now, I don't have to worry about any of that; our time is limited, and I want to spend my last hours with you. If you no longer feel… that way about me, I'll understand. I've been horrible to you."

"Artemis, you could murder my friends, expose the fairies, and sell me on E-Bay, but I'd still love you," Holly said, grinning. Artemis half laughed his mind clear of everything but the fact that Holly wanted him.

"As cute as that was," Esperanza's voice boomed overhead, "Can we please move on?"

The gypsy's piercing voice filled the white world, pounding into Artemis's eardrums. He instinctively wrapped an arm around Holly's waist, glancing feverishly around at the blinding nothingness.

Suddenly, without warning, the world changed. Artemis was standing on a mahogany floor, a chandelier hanging overhead; Fowl Manor.

"The memories will not be the same," Holly whispered. "They'll be tampered with. I'll be here the entire time; we're the only things that are real. Nothing here can hurt you."

"Are you sure about that?" Esperanza's voice hissed in their ears. Holly's eyes widened.

And Holly was snatched away from Artemis, her arm ripped from Artemis's back. The elf was thrown across the room, slamming into the wall. Her head was thrown back, her lips parting in a small gasp.

"I-it's fine," Holly gasped, "Artemis, it's fine, just look away, run!"

But Artemis couldn't. His feet were glued to the floor, his eyes glued to Holly. An invisible force seemed to manipulate the elf, a puppeteer playing with his puppet. She was in pain, her eyes wide with fear.

Someone walked out of the shadows; a small, pale boy with raven black hair.

It was ten year old Artemis.

The boy clutched a dagger in his hand; his eyes were alight with black fire. Holly watched him draw closer.

"This isn't happening!" Holly shouted to the real Artemis. "Don't worry, Artemis, nothing can hurt you!"

"What about you?" Artemis shouted, trying desperately to move even an inch.

"I- I don't know," Holly admitted. "But, Artemis, I'll be fine as soon as we're free of this place. Know that!"

The young Artemis placed a foot on Holly's leg, disgusted. "Creatures like you must be wiped from this earth." He turned, smiling evilly at his older self, the real Artemis. "Would you like to do the honors?"

And suddenly, against his will, Artemis began walking towards Holly and his evil, younger self. "NO!" he screamed, trying to run. Holly's breathing became shallow.

The young Artemis handed the pointed dagger to his older self; the real Artemis yelled as his arm raised above his head, clutching the dagger so hard his knuckles turned white.

"You can fight it," Holly whispered. "I could, I learned how. This is a bad dream, that's all. Control your thoughts."

But Artemis couldn't. His younger self disappeared; it was just him and Holly, alone in the dream manor.

He grabbed Holly's shoulder, pulling her upright.

"I'm sorry!" he cried. "I'm so sorry, Holly."

And his hand drove the dagger into Holly's chest, slamming the elf into the wall. She gasped, grabbing at the hilt, pulling the bloody tool from her body. A dark wound was visible to the right of Holly's shoulder; blood seeped over her clothes, onto the clean floors of Fowl Manor. Her breathing slowed.

"No, no, Holly, no!" Artemis yelled, regaining control of his limbs. The world melted into white nothingness again, leaving just him and Holly.

"Not… your… fault," Holly murmured, her eyes closed. "Remember… just… a… bad… dream."

"Please, stay with me," Artemis whispered. Holly managed to shake her head.

"I can't," she said weakly. "Remember, I'm gone, and anyone who looks like me is just a figment of your imagination. Be… safe."

And she disappeared, leaving Artemis alone in the white world.

Meanwhile, Holly regained consciousness in the cave. Esperanza was smiling expectantly.

"Well? Is he having fun?" she asked eagerly. Holly sighed.

"Oh, you can go back in," the gypsy said, as though this was a wanted privilege. "But he can't know you're there."

And Holly was once again transported into Artemis's slice of hell, watching sadly as Artemis relived his worst experiences, all the while calling for his elfin friend. She longed to reach out for him, to touch him, to tell him everything was all right. But she was a phantom; an invisible guardian angel.

~*~

"Holly," Artemis sighed through gritted teeth. He tried to tell himself she was fine; but the memory of puncturing her chest with the blasted dagger was too real.

"Artemis?"

Holly's voice rang through the nothingness, filling Artemis's ears. He leapt to his feet, turning to find Holly, unscathed.

"Oh, Artemis, I'm so glad you're all right," Holly breathed, throwing her arms around Artemis's neck. She took his face in her hands, her eyes sparkling.

"Holly… how?" was all Artemis could say. The elf laughed.

"It's a dream, Artemis. I can do whatever I want."

And she brought his lips to hers, pressing herself against him until every line of their bodies seemed to connect.

But as Artemis thrived in the newfound bliss, Holly's last words before she had disappeared rang through his mind.

_Remember, I'm gone, and anyone who looks like me is just a figment of your imagination._

The angel in his arms was not Holly; she was a fake, a clone.

He pulled away, disgusted, forcing the fake Holly away from him. But the girl standing in front of him was not Holly. She was suddenly Minerva, dressed in a sparkling cocktail dress, her blonde curls cascading down her back.

"Surprise," Minerva whispered, wrapping her arms around Artemis's neck. Her lips found his once again, and the kiss was poison to Artemis. Her mouth burned like acid against his; he tried to scream, to pull away, but could not move a muscle.

"Oh, don't fight it," Minerva said airily. "It was meant to be, silly."

And her lips were at his neck, and he was screaming in pain, screaming for Holly. Minerva's touch burned like fire, and they were so very, very close together, every part of him was ablaze with the horrible pain. This wasn't a memory, or even a fear of his; funnily enough, he had never spent even a second worrying about Minerva scalding his flesh with hers. It made absolutely no sense.

And then the pain was gone. Artemis opened his watering eyes to find Minerva a foot away from him, smiling evilly.

"I thought nothing could hurt me in this dream world?" Artemis murmured, moving backwards slightly as Minerva took a step forward.

"Oh, no, we can hurt you as much as we like," Minerva said brightly, seeming to relish the idea. "Holly simply meant that once you 'wake up', all the pain will be gone."

And with that, Minerva walked off into the white distance, becoming smaller and smaller until she completely disappeared. Artemis stood rigid, waiting. Though the pain had been real enough, so far the scenario had not been completely devastatingly horrible as Holly had described. Maybe it would get worse?

And, as he had expected, colors and objects appeared around him. The change from nothing to everything was so blindingly bright, Artemis covered his eyes with the back of a hand to shield himself from the unbearable color.

When his eyes had adjusted, Artemis took in the scenery. He was standing in the Extinctionists' 'Courtroom', wearing a tuxedo and fake beard. He stood beside Holly, cuffed to a baby chair.

"I think they're coming off," he grunted, pretending to pull Holly's 'fake' pointed ear from her head. He suddenly realized with a sinking feeling in his stomach that his plan would not work.

He had touched the adhesive on his fake ear mold too quickly; instead of a cone-like figure, it now just looked like a crumpled bandage. Holly stared up at him, terrified.

"Got it!" he shouted, hoping the nitwit Extinctionists would buy the act. Unfortunately, they didn't.

"That's not an ear!" Kronski screamed. "That's a fake! You're a fake! But guess who's _not_ a fake, my fellow Extinctionists?"

Here, he paused for dramatic effect. Half the audience was glaring daggers at Artemis, the other half waiting with bated breath for Kronski's concluding sentence.

"My fairy! My fairy isn't a fake at all!" Damon said triumphantly. The audience roared its approval, with many shouts of, "To the pit!" "Destroy the vermin!" and "Kill the fairy!"

One voice cut through the others, a shrill, piercing sound full of anger. "I say with throw _both_ of them into the pit! Humans who protect animals are no better than the beasts!"

Damon seemed to agree. He grabbed Holly from her baby chair, unchaining her to free her limbs. She denied the crazed man the pleasure of seeing her scream for mercy, making sure to keep her features composed.

"Farewell, you little creep!" Damon hissed, digging his fingers into Holly's arms. As she descended into the pit, Holly called Artemis's name.

"Fowl!" she shouted, her eyes meeting his. Artemis himself had been tackled by fifty angry members, and could just see Holly's face through the arms pinning him down. Their eyes locked, mismatched blue and hazel to mismatched blue and hazel.

And then she was enveloped by the fake flames, her life in the hands of Opal Koboi.

As Artemis was thrown into the pit after his elfin friend, the world disintegrated. Everything melted away, forming a new scene. Artemis stood shakily, glancing around at his surroundings.

At first, all he noticed was white. Everywhere he looked, all Artemis could see was the bland, shapeless color, stretching on into infinity. But then the white began to take shape; it became clumped and soft, forming hills and slopes.

He was in the Arctic, standing atop a moving train.

Artemis ran to the edge of the train, fully prepared to jump; and yet, he ran into an invisible barrier, preventing him to go any further.

It was like a computer game. You cannot walk into places that are unimportant to the storyline; if you are set on a mission, you must complete it. Artemis could not even move backwards; the invisible barrier followed him wherever he went, blocking off the places he had been before.

Sighing, Artemis succumbed to his immediate destiny, and walked carelessly along the train, hopping inside at the appropriate spot.

Artemis reached into his pocket, and found yet another vile of dwarf rock polish. Grimacing, he poured the lot of it on the door, watching fearfully as the dangerous stuff ate through the metal.

And, suddenly, it was like he was watching a movie of his own actions. He was watching himself pour the dwarf rock polish on the door, and yet was not doing anything of the sorts.

It was like a computer game once again; when you have completed your mission, you see a very short animated film telling what happened next.

Artemis watched the metal melt away, revealing a slightly younger Holly, clinging to the train with a pained grimace on her face.

Artemis tried to reach for her, but remembered that he was simply watching this movie, not acting in it. He saw the young version of himself take Holly's hands, pulling her inside the train; and, luckily, remembering to look away when Holly's finger was sliced from her hand by the remainders of the large train door.

Holly yelled for a fraction of a second before collapsing on top of the young Artemis, blue sparks circling the boy's arm. Artemis watched this helplessly, wanting desperately to pull the elf off of the floor, to let her magic heal the awful wound on her hand instead of pamper the young Artemis Fowl further. He saw the young version of himself smile in his sleep, enjoying the magical treatment Holly so desperately needed.

Minutes later, Commander Julius Root made his way inside the train; Artemis never actually saw Root come into the train, so the memory was fuzzy.

The Commander looked at the two unconscious figures in horror, quickly pulling Holly from Artemis's chest. Seconds later the young Artemis awoke, stretching and yawning.

The scene skipped ahead to when the four travelers had departed from the train, searching desperately for a sliver of earth to bury Holly's secret acorn. Artemis, watching the scenario, was surprised when Commander Root found the earth he had been looking for. Maybe this memory wasn't tampered with at all.

"Yes!" The Commander crowed. "Earth!"

He hurriedly placed Holly's dismembered finger back to its original place, thrusting the taped hand deep into the cold soil. The travelers waited, watching Holly's still form anxiously.

Ten seconds. Fifteen. Twenty. Nothing.

Artemis watched the scene, breathing rhythmically to stop hyperventilation. He knew what was coming.

"It didn't take," Root said in a toneless voice. "Her career is over."

Holly seemed to be coming to; she slowly sat up, groaning softly. She wiped a snowflake from her cheek with a hand, shaking her head to clear the dizziness.

"What happened?" she asked, but soon enough, her eyes fell upon her own disfigured hand. She cried out, scrambling to her feet.

But before the scene could continue further, Artemis was thrown forcefully from the Arctic, landing painfully in a different scene entirely.

Artemis took in his surroundings; he was in his mother's bedroom, holding Jayjay the Silky Sifaka Lemur.

"Arty, let me hold him," his mother said, her voice weak and cracked. Sympathizing, Artemis handed the lemur to his dying mother.

"Just for a minute, mother," Artemis reminded her. "We really must--,"

His mother sprang from her bed, her eyes crazed. "Stupid boy! I thought you were supposed to be a genius."

And Opal transformed into Miss Book, letting the still form of Angeline Fowl crumple to the floor. Artemis yelled out, running to his mother's side. He heard the sickening cries of Jayjay behind him, but no longer cared for the animal. He cared only for his mother.

Artemis scooped up Mrs. Fowl's limp frame. Her head lolled to the side, her lips parted in a final sigh. Angeline's pulse became fainter and fainter by the second, until Artemis could feel nothing at all.

Before Artemis could mourn the loss of his mother, the scene changed again; Mrs. Fowl disintegrated in his arms until she had disappeared completely.

The scenes are speeding up, Artemis thought. Does this mean the nightmare shall end soon?

The Temple of Artemis grew before Artemis Fowl's eyes; one by one, trolls popped up around him, along with a bending, gushing river.

"Climb, Artemis!" Holly hissed from behind him. And Artemis did, scaling the Temple replica as fast as he could. The trolls howled below him, craving fresh meat.

Artemis reached the top, and lay there panting as Holly skipped over the last few rungs.

A troll appeared on the rooftop, apparently a bit more skilled than his comrades. It howled angrily at the two unlikely companions, blundering blindly towards them. Artemis whimpered, hurtling to the other side of the fairly small roof.

"I think we might be able to jump," Holly said hopefully. "The river will buy us at least fifteen minutes."

But before they could carry out this plan, the troll on the roof jumped them. Artemis yelled in terror, curling into a ball, overcome by panic. Luckily, the troll overshot his target; he plummeted off the side, right over the elf and human's heads.

There were at least ten trolls beneath them at this point, all waiting by the river for their prey. These trolls were smarter than the actual ones Artemis had faced all those years ago. They had no chance. Unless…

A totally evil and cold-hearted thought pierced through the haze of terror clouding Artemis's head. The trolls needed a meal; who said the meal had to be him?

Artemis glanced slyly at the elf sitting next to him. Even at the age of fourteen, it was probable Artemis could overpower her. Sure, Holly was physically fit and well trained, but she was tired, stressed, and Artemis had the element of surprise on his hand.

It was all over in a second. Artemis's foot connected with Holly's back, kicking the air from her lungs. She gasped, losing her balance. Holly grabbed the smooth side of the fake Temple, her fingers desperately searching for an indent to hold onto.

"Artemis," Holly gasped. "Please, help me."

And Artemis had a flashback of a movie he had been forced to watch at the age of five; The Lion King. One scene in particular came to mind; when Mufasa was holding on to the side of a crumbling cliff, losing his grip, his brother Scar ignored his pleas and made the lion fall to his death; trampled by a herd of enraged animals.

But it was a fight for survival, so Artemis got to his feet and calmly pressed the toe of his boot on Holly's left hand. She cried out in pain, but would not let go.

Artemis stepped on Holly's hand again, and this time the pain loosened Holly's grip. She slipped from the Temple, falling into the mass of claws and fur that was ten ravenous trolls.

And the scene changed again. Artemis was back in the white world, trying to shake the image of the troll's last meal from his mind.

Esperanza's voice filled Artemis's ears. "Ignorant boy! Don't the scenes bother you at all?"

She was exasperated, annoyed. Artemis liked it.

"The scenes make no sense and are put together clumsily," he said calmly. Esperanza hissed; the sound was like a thousand vipers.

"You're right, I guess," she admitted. "I was just taking random guesses at what might affect you the most. I could always just kill you," she mused, "Then you'd be reunited with your animal friend."

Animal friend? Artemis did not know what the Gypsy meant by this. After a few moments, he realized who she meant; what were elves to Extinctionists except smart animals?

"You didn't kill Holly," Artemis murmured. He was mostly trying to convince himself this. "You need her."

"For what?"

Artemis was silent. Esperanza became angry again.

"Oh, doesn't anything get to you? The oversized doll wasn't this hard to break."

Artemis still held his tongue, reluctant to speak with the bodiless voice anymore.

"Your mind is so… different," Esperanza fumed. "It's like an ocean; I can explore what I think is the depths of your subconscious, but there's still miles more of information that I haven't even seen yet. So many nooks and crannies I will never be able to see; you're a smart one."

"I can't believe it!" Artemis exclaimed. "You have every bit of knowledge you need, you have my mind on a silver platter, and you can't torture me properly because _you can't figure it out?"_

"And here I thought you'd be pleased by the fact I can't drive you insane," Esperanza's voice mumbled. Artemis snorted.

"Yes, I am rather glad I'm not insane," he said through gritted teeth, "but I just find it impossible to believe that you're so stupid you can't even—,"

And an invisible force smacked into Artemis's chest, throwing him forever backwards into the never ending nothingness.

"I HAAATE YOU!" Esperanza screamed, and the memory of Opal Koboi saying the same thing flashed in front of Artemis's eyes. This seemed to unlock hidden memories; Opal, dive bombing Briar Cudgeon with her Hoverboy chair; Opal, speaking through the fairy communicator while Artemis, Holly, and Mulch wiggled truffles in front of her face; Opal, her beautiful features distorted as she clutched Professor Primate in her hand, realizing she had been tricked.

And the memory of Holly and Mulch unlocked even more memories; Esperanza had found the access key to Artemis's mind.

"Gotcha," she said quietly. Artemis's stomach seemed to drop fifty stories. He always kept his mind so closed up, even to himself, only pulling up the memories he absolutely needed. No one thought like him this way; in the time tunnel, everyone else's mind had been an open book. Not his.

But through one memory, Esperanza had dug deeper and deeper until no secret was safe.


	14. Chapter 15

**This is the last chapter I had finished when I originally wrote this story. With enough persuasion from readers, I might actually settle down to finish this…**

**I'm kidding. Even I'm not that big of a jerk. I'll try to finish it, guys. **

~*~

Artemis felt like he was being pulled in a thousand different directions; memories flashed before his eyes, some he hadn't thought of in years. Most of them involved Holly; random pictures of her kept popping up and then fizzling out of existence.

Artemis's eyes became watery as thousands of colors seemed to push at him from every which way. He pressed his hands to his ears as he heard his little brothers screaming as they woke from a nightmare; the sound quickly warped into a goblin's snarl.

Everywhere he looked, a new world welcomed him and then was snatched away; Frequently, Holly's troubled face flashed before him for mere milliseconds. He stumbled backwards, and seemed to fall, fall forever.

Screams and cries penetrated his throbbing eardrums. Esperanza pulled every memory she could, distorting the sounds. Grotesque images began to fill Artemis's mind. His loved ones lay dead upon the floor; blood ran in a never ending river, and Artemis couldn't tell whose blood it was.

Artemis was suddenly standing atop a mountain of gold; it melted, encasing him in tons of red hot, molten metal. He screamed, and was quickly pulled from the pile; as he scrambled to escape, he turned to find Holly's head disappearing under the quickly solidifying liquid. Soon she was trapped inside a million dollar tomb.

And then Artemis was once again hanging in nothingness, a million images and sounds and smells attacking him from every side. Esperanza was toying with him.

His father lay dead upon a sea of ice; Opal Koboi sat upon a throne made of human bones, a silver crown perched lazily on her head; his mother curled in her bed, succumbing to her madness.

And Artemis suddenly sat in a church pew, watching Holly walk down the long hall, dressed in white; a faceless man clutched her hand with his.

Holly gave Artemis a burning glare, begging him to save her. Artemis stood stock still, unable to look away as Holly promised her life to the faceless stranger. Their lips met, and Holly's expression became blank. She gazed around the church, her eyes sliding right past Artemis as though he wasn't there.

The scene was sucked backward until it was a mere pinprick of light in the distance. Artemis remained; the void world soon claimed him.

The pure wall of sound was louder this time by far. Hideous noises pushed the bile to the tip of Artemis's tongue; nails dragging down a chalkboard, a child's cry punctured with throaty coughs and retching, a thousand screeching voices joined as one.

Artemis soon forgot where he was and what he was doing there. He was drowning in his own mind. A numbing cold crept up his right leg, while he left leg burned white hot; words had no meaning anymore, and the world was a circle of pain, misery, and guilt.

"You're cracking," Esperanza's voice boomed. Artemis barely heard her. He opened his mouth to scream; terrible tastes poured inside, the nonexistent food choking him.

Artemis whirled about, trying to run; Holly's saddened, betrayed eyes suddenly pierced him from all sides. Another stream of scenes played before his eyes; Butler, splayed upon a tile floor with bullet wounds peppering his torso; his father beating his mother with boredom apparent in his eyes; two boys from Saint Bartleby's, drawing back their welcoming hands as a young, pale boy just smirked at their attempts to be cordial.

Artemis doubled over, feeling as though he might be sick. His spine was wrenched back to its original upright position, forcing Artemis to stare into the eyes of a hairy, hungry troll. It quickly morphed into a giant spider, which spun with lightning speed into a bloodstained sword, fifty feet high, slick blade gleaming.

Artemis was suddenly standing on black, cracked earth; the ground shook beneath him, the dead soil splitting as hideous creatures crawled forth. Artemis let himself fall against the ground, and a crack formed underneath him. He fell down it, falling, falling, the darkness overwhelming. His stomach churned with guilt and anguish, his head throbbed, his heart ached, and his limbs felt dislocated. A strange happiness overcame him, and he felt a desire to laugh; then it was gone, and he cried out in despair once again.

"I think you're ready," Esperanza's voice hissed. She sounded gleeful, but Artemis didn't notice.

The boy landed on the cave floor, but did not awake from his nightmare. The gypsy had pushed him too far. He lay, twisting and panting, still trapped in his own mind. Holly rushed over to him.

"What have you done?" Holly yelled, taking Artemis's head in her hands. Esperanza giggled.

"Well, I had so much material to work with, I just couldn't resist! I guess he went off the deep end," the gypsy said, eying Artemis's pallid, desperate face. "Ah, well; we'll still have some fun, you and I, won't we, Holly?"

Chains appeared around Holly's wrists, dragging her away from Artemis. "NO!" she screamed, crying unashamedly. "ARTEMIS!"

Esperanza howled with laughter, and disappeared without another word, leaving Holly and a partially insane Artemis alone in the isolated cavern.


	15. Chapter 16

"Artemis, please, no," Holly whimpered, struggling to get closer to Artemis. The boy moaned and writhed on the floor, his eyes wide and blank.

"Artemis, look at me!" Holly pleaded, a sob building in her throat. "Fight it!"

Artemis was not chained; he fumbled to his knees, blinking confusedly.

"Yes, that's it!" Holly coaxed. "Come here, Artemis. I can help you."

"Hol"- Artemis struggled to say Holly's name, clutching his ears with his hands.

"I'm here," Holly whispered. Artemis was truly fighting whatever he was experiencing; he shook his head repeatedly, and spat garbled words that Holly did not understand. Holly had never seen Artemis so vulnerable and weak. It terrified her.

"Just a little bit farther," Holly groaned, wincing as the rusting cuffs cut into her wrists. Artemis took shaky steps, still on his knees. He suddenly screamed; the sound echoed for what seemed like hours after it stopped.

"Just stop, just stop!" he pleaded, and the words were barely audible. He fell back on the cold stone.

"Artemis, fight it!" Holly screamed. "I know you haven't lost all hope. Just make it to me, and I think I can—"

But it was like talking to a toddler. Artemis might have heard, but did not understand and did not care. He just stared at Holly for a moment, not fully recognizing her, then made a sort of whining sound and turned away.

Holly summoned the few sparks of magic she had left, tears collecting in her eyes. What if she couldn't save Artemis? What if her magic addled his brain even farther, driving him over the brink?

It was horrible, seeing her beloved Artemis Fowl behave like a terrified child. He cowered on the floor, sobbing quietly while dragging fingers through his hair.

"Artemis! Artemis, it's me! Holly!" Holly shouted. If she could only get Artemis to look at her for even a second, her plan might work. But if she turned on the mesmer too early, she might use up all her leftover magic and they'd both be done for.

"Artemis! Please, look at me!" Holly pleaded, feeling bile in her throat as she watched her love mumble aimlessly to himself. He twitched a bit, his eyes traveling shyly in her direction. But he couldn't see her; all he saw was pain and blackness, a never ending world of despair. Only luck could save them now.

After minutes, each second dragging by, Artemis's eyes met Holly's for a fraction of a moment. She jumped on the chance and half shouted, "Human, your will is mine!"

He was under her power all too quickly. His mind, weak and practically blank, was easy to control.

"_Come here, Artemis,_" Holly said quietly, and he stumbled to her side. She placed both her cold hands on each side of his head, her fingers knotting in his hair. Though his head tried to twitch out of her grasp, his eyes never left hers.

"_Heal,_" she breathed, and blue magic sprang from her fingertips. It sank into Artemis's skull, and he wrenched himself out of Holly's grip, his eyes wide and unseeing. It was obviously a painful process, to reconnect the memory with the mind, and Holly winced repeatedly as Artemis emitted screams increasing in volume. His eyes began darting around the cavern, narrowing angrily.

"Where am I?" he asked, voice virtually toneless. "I don't recognize this place. I don't recognize you," he continued, turning to face Holly. The corners of her mouth quirked upward; his mind was checking itself, becoming accustomed to its surroundings and relearning information it already knew.

"You know me, Artemis," she said pleasantly. "I'm Holly, remember?"

"You're Holly," he said thoughtfully. "And I'm Artemis. We're quite the pair, aren't we?"

She laughed. His head bobbed up eagerly at the sound, eyes focusing.

"I know you now," he said. "I know me, too. I know this place, though I don't like it. Esperanza brought me here, and you, too. She's a very cruel person, isn't she? Extinctionist. Right."

Artemis's brain clicked each new (old?) bit of info into place, leaving his mouth open in wonder. After a few minutes of this, Holly became impatient.

"You all set, Arty?" she called. "Chop chop. We don't have a lot of time."

"Your petty attempts to fill the silence aren't helping me reorganize the whole of my mind, Holly," Artemis snapped. She attempted to throw her hands up in aggravation, though only managed to bruise her wrists due to the manacles.

"Help me out?" she called, shaking her chained arms. Artemis loped leisurely to her side, taking a wrist in his palm.

"Well, now, how will we get you out of these?" he murmured, examining the skintight metal. "No space for you to wriggle out, no weak link, not even a key."

_That's where you're wrong,_ a voice called inside Artemis's head. He twitched, hand flying to his forehead.

"Something wrong?" Holly asked anxiously. Artemis cocked his head, lips pursed.

"I'm not sure. I hear… something. Someone."

"Esperanza?"

"Maybe," Artemis said. "I'm not sure—"

But just then the voice spoke again, twin sounds overlapping. _There is a key,_ it whispered. _Somewhere in these twisted halls, there is a key. Find it, and you both go. Miss it, and you rot here. _

"It's her," Artemis said firmly, recognizing the speaker. "She's been watching us- she anticipated this. I don't know how to communicate with her."

_Think,_ came the answer. Easy enough.

_Why did you give us a way out?_ Artemis questioned in thought. Holly looked at him expectantly, not hearing a word. _Why not just come back here and destroy us both?_

_I'm in this for the game, Fowl, _Esperanza responded. _And, you never know, this might just be another trap. You leave for five minutes, find the key, and come back here to discover your beloved with a knife through her heart. But this little portion of our visit buys you both more time._

_Fair enough. But there has to be another catch. I can't find this key just by looking for it._

_Don't you trust me?_

Artemis grimaced. _The halls are somehow enchanted; perhaps I'll hallucinate again. Perhaps you'll be waiting for me at the other side of these rocks with another golden chain. It doesn't matter. Just promise me Holly won't be hurt._

A glass sphere appeared around Holly, trapping her inside. She cried out furiously, banging at the sides with restricted hands. She called Artemis's name, though the sound was muffled by thick glass. The spherical cage floated eight feet high in the air; Holly glanced fearfully about her before redoubling her attempts to puncture her prison.

_You have two hours to find the key, _Esperanza hissed inside Artemis's head. Artemis noticed that a small keyhole had appeared at the base of Holly's manacles; a padlock materialized at the same time in the middle of the sphere, with the same key-sized gap in the center. _After two hours are up, I will do what I wish with the elf. She will not survive, I promise you that. _

_Where do I look?_ Artemis asked, oblivious to Holly's yells of distress. _It could be hidden in any number of crevices, even buried under miles of stone._

_I didn't say I played fair. _

_I could find the key and come back here just to be killed. Releasing Holly won't help us escape this godforsaken cave. You're toying with us._

_Maybe. Probably, actually. But it doesn't matter. I make the rules here. Are you willing to risk Holly's life just because you don't like the game?_

_No. We'll do this your way, Esperanza. _

With that, Artemis bolted for the now-open entrance to the rock hallway, leaving Holly to silently suffer in her prison of glass.


	16. Chapter 17

othing dramatic happened as Artemis entered the hallway; no stalactites crumbled to stab him, no avalanche of heavy rocks rained down on his head, the door-sized hole that lead back into the cavern where Holly lay captive didn't even close up.

One change Artemis felt was a pleasant one. He felt revitalized. Each limb of his body suddenly flowed with energy, every ache and pain disappearing quietly as though it had never been. An echo of his recent insanity still lingered in his mind- Artemis's thoughts wouldn't focus completely, but apart from that, whatever spell Esperanza had placed on him was feeling fine.

Artemis glanced forward at the darkening path, sighing. Picking through this much rock in so little light, which would be very nearly impossible without an evil enchantress after you, seemed barely imaginable now. Better start somewhere, he thought.

His fingers flickered over the stone walls, searching for a weak point. He found one, and wrapped his hands around the jagged rock, pulling the piece loose. Dust and particles of minerals showered the floor.

_This is your plan? _Esperanza's voice said lazily in his ear, and he turned before realizing she had once again inhabited his head. _You have two hours. It's impossible._

_I don't have a choice,_ he replied with the utmost dignity as his fingers blackened with dirt.

_I'm too refined to make my captives search this way. Walk, boy. _

_I don't want to play to your strengths. I take a step, trip a wire, and end up hanging from the ceiling while hallucinatory trolls pound my skull- no thank you._

_My playing field, my game, my rules. Go._

Artemis removed his hand reluctantly from the wall. The passageway was not the most inviting, but he did as he was told, trekking precariously along. Specific stones glowed luminously, lighting his way; they crackled with a kind of demented magic, gleaming far too bright.

His eyes combed the walls, ceiling, and floor in vain, increasingly desperate. Two short hours would fly by and he would still be stuck wandering.

_This is worthless, _he snapped mutely. _You can't possibly expect me to simply stare at rock for two hours. I know you make the rules, but, please, make it a bit easier._

No answer was forthcoming. Artemis's growl of anger was lost on the earless stone.

A glitter caught his eye from a section of the left wall of grey monotony; he backtracked, eyes gleaming. There was nothing there. Nothing.

Artemis frowned, hands trailing over the spot where, certainly, something had shone a moment before… he tore at the spot with his fingernails, but the rock wouldn't budge.

Unnerved, Artemis began walking again, cautiously. A second time something sparkling attracted his vision. He covered the spot with a hand, peeking between his fingers at a noticeable lack of a key.

_This is your game? _he called. _You're kidding me. _

_Good luck._

Aspiring nothings began glinting from multiple points on the walls. Artemis swore he saw a golden key hang from the ceiling for a moment, but when he reached for it, the metal proved its nonexistence by disappearing. He stopped trying after a minute, ignoring the temptations altogether.

_One could save her, _Esperanza's voice whined. _You mustn't care about her at all to risk her wellbeing like this. _

_Shut up, _Artemis groaned. _You've got me darting at glints of light, what more do you want?_

_I want you to try as hard as you possibly can, and crumble as you fail miserably. _

Artemis gritted his teeth. The glints on the walls became brighter and brighter; if he glanced at one for even a moment, the light would leave sun spots dancing beneath his eyelids, distracting him further. The gleams of light took form, taking the shape of a hundred makeshift keys, all jumping from the walls to prance merrily in front of him, blocking his path.

He stepped on one to find it inexplicably real, stubbing his toe on the metal. Artemis grunted in pain.

_Oh, you've found it!_ Esperanza squealed. Artemis squinted at the end of the key.

"It doesn't fit the lock," he said aloud, voice echoing, before moving forward. Other keys scurried animatedly to be judged, all hopping and bouncing with the same unnervingly bright light the luminous rocks had glowed with.

Artemis examined each key in turn. His memory was not fully restored yet from the ordeal it had been put through earlier, but he had a clear recollection of the padlock on Holly's spherical cage, and none of the freakishly dancing keys held the correct blade. Each was bigger or smaller than it should have been, too jagged at points, too smooth at others, adding up to a room full of rejects.

_What are you playing at? _Artemis thought angrily. _This game is ridiculous, and shabbily put together. Show me the correct key so we can get to the next damn level, or- or whatever you call the stations of this maniacal maze._

_Poetically put. _

And then, there it was, lying just in front of him, surrounded by the other keys. This key's blade was perfect. Artemis smiled ruefully, bending to grasp it.

The other keys scattered, melding back into the walls and disappearing with a whisper. Artemis's fist closed around his prize; he did it without thinking, merely gladdened by the fact that he had finished with his task. As soon as flesh met metal, Artemis knew that something had changed drastically.

All of a sudden, the world felt right. The very pit of Artemis's stomach was calmed, his burdens lifted; a fire was lit in his heart, a very comforting metaphorical flame. The key was warm in his hand. It was a constant reminder that everything was just fine, he needn't worry.

Esperanza materialized in front of him. Her expression was kinder than it had ever been before.

"Well done, Master Fowl," she said in a cheery voice that was not her own. "You have completed your challenge. Holly will be let go."

Artemis grinned, slightly dazed by his good fortune. "All right, then. Will you show us the way out? Or must I perform some other menial task for that privilege?"

Esperanza laughed. It was too good-natured. "No, no. You may go whenever you wish. But stay a while. It's nice down here, isn't it?"

Artemis's brow creased, and he began to say, "Well, of course not! We've been prisoners down here!" but the key glowed brighter and hotter against his palm, sending a flickering message of peace and happiness through his veins. Deep magic sparked Artemis's nervous system.

"Yes, we'll stay," Artemis agreed. "Where's Holly?"

With a snap and a flurry of blue sparks, Esperanza brought Holly to them both in the dank passageway that was now somewhat quainter. She looked, wide eyed, around her, dressed in the same tattered clothes and bearing the same scars. But Artemis felt something was missing.

"Holly!" he said happily. "We can go, Holly, we're free!"

She smiled a genuine smile so beautiful it wiped Artemis's mind clean of anything else. He was drunk with love, enraptured by the elf in front of him. As they hugged, Esperanza smirked cruelly behind them before disappearing.

"This is fantastic," Artemis murmured. "Let's go."

"I'd like to stay," Holly said automatically. When Artemis looked skeptical, she pleaded, "Oh, just a bit, Artemis? It's wonderful around here, just down this way."

Without wondering how she knew this, Artemis obediently followed her down the passage, the key growing increasingly hotter in his palm. He gripped it all the tighter.

"Ah, should I keep this?" Artemis wondered, gesturing to the key. Holly looked pensive.

"Why not?" she decided. Though this was not a very strong case against dropping the key, Artemis shoved the object into his pocket. He hadn't wanted to drop it anyway.

"What's so nice about this, Holly?" Artemis asked after a good ten minutes. "It's seems like… a cave. Nothing more."

Holly looked expectantly at the walls, which quickly changed from grey to a calming, soft red. She then turned to the floor and ceiling, which each followed suit with different colors. Pillows appeared on the floor, forming a sort of rectangle.

"Cute," Artemis commented, sinking into the pillows and gesturing for Holly to do the same. She snuggled next to him; he wrapped an arm around her.

They stayed like this for a while. It was very nice to just sit and _be, _but something kept nudging at the back of Artemis's mind. Whenever a thought fought to surface, his pocket would become unbearably hot, almost burning his skin, before cooling again, and the thought would be gone.

"Did Esperanza hurt you?" Artemis asked. "Before she brought you into the tunnel, I mean."

"No," Holly said passively. "She kept to her word."

They sat in silence again. Artemis's brain was buzzing underneath the thin layer of calmness that had settled. He shook his head jerkily, attempting to clear his head.

"Anything wrong?" Holly said. Her eyes were closed.

"No," Artemis sighed. "I just… I feel odd. Like my 'task' was too simple. I was so worried about you, and I was ready to undergo anything she had in store… but I guess it isn't important."

Holly opened her eyes. A trace of guilt shone through her irises. "You would have undergone anything? Esperanza is one messed up fairy slayer, Arty. She could have planned something downright diabolical."

"I know." Artemis smiled. "But what else could I have done? She was in charge."

As Artemis shifted on the pillows, a recent memory struck him. He loosened his grip on Holly's shoulders.

"Why don't you heal a few of those cuts and bruises?" Artemis said in a would-be light tone. Holly grinned.

"I can't believe I forgot," she laughed. Blue sparks flew from her fingertips, removing markings and scrapes on her face and arms. Artemis slowly pulled away from her.

"What?" Holly asked anxiously. Artemis got to his feet, fighting the sick happiness that kept tying down his emotions.

"You're not Holly."

"Of course I am!" she giggled nervously. "How could I not be?"

"Don't play innocent, you're not that good an actress." She bristled at this. "Holly had run out of magic while restoring my health. She didn't even have enough left to fix a scratch. Who are you?"

The mirror of Holly sighed, giving up quicker than a trained professional would have normally. "Fine. I'm not your elfish girlfriend. Sorry."

"Who are you?" Artemis repeated. "And where is Holly?"

"Oh, she hasn't moved," not-Holly said casually. "She's probably still chilling in her ball, unless Esperanza took her out."

Artemis was surprisingly undisturbed by this news, though the girl was making Holly sound like a hampster. In fact, the whole affair seemed comical. He lay back on the pillows, pocket cooling. "So who are you?"

"Name's Transfigura," the girl mumbled, relaxing. "I'm a Lircues- a shape-shifter."

"Ah." Artemis took this in stride. "And why, Transfigura the Lircues, are you here, working with Esperanza?"

Transfigura laughed bitterly. "Oh, no. I'm not working with her. I'm here for the same reason you are."

"You're in love with Holly too?"

"Oh, ha-ha. You're in a very funny mood right now. Esperanza captured me a very long time ago. She uses me for experiments, and promised to let me go if I helped her trick you."

"She'll never let you go," Artemis said truthfully. There was no way Esperanza would let a creature like Transfigura free for a bargain.

"No," Transfigura murmured. "But it got me out of my prison for a while."

"I need to get to Holly," Artemis said suddenly. As he rose, a powerful urge to sit again seized him, and he sank back down. He frowned.

"Why can't I leave?" he asked.

"Because," Transfigura said. "Esperanza's got you under a _very_ powerful spell- the strongest I know of. Unless you break it, which you won't, Hollykins is as good as dead. And so are you."

Artemis was starting to like Transfigura less. "Will you help me break the spell?"

"Of course not!" Transfigura scoffed. "Esperanza practically owns my soul. Unless you can promise me a one way ticket out of this place, kid, you're going nowhere."

"I'll get you out," Artemis said at once. Transfigura arched Holly's eyebrows.

"Artemis, dear, I highly doubt you can," she said softly, with just a hint of steel. It was cutting all the same. "I know Esperanza, know her incredibly well. You don't stand a chance against her."

"I'll get you out!" Artemis said again. "I'll find a way. I promise. Please. I can't die here- can't let Holly die here! I will give you whatever you want, do whatever you want, if you help me break the spell."

"She'll punish me," Transfigura said simply. "And I won't deal with that. Not for any lovestruck human."

She refused to speak again for a while. Artemis stretched on the bed of pillows; a tiredness had seeped into his veins, and was growing ever stronger. His mind was heavy with fuzzy thoughts.

After about ten minutes, Artemis rolled over to his other side, facing Transfigura. "Please," he whispered. "I'm desperate. The determination is being leeched out of me by whatever spell Esperanza put on me- in an hour, maybe less, I won't care about Holly at all. You can't let me damn her fate."

"Can't I, though?" Transfigura said lazily. "Look here, Artemis. You've got a soft room with a replica of your lovely girlfriend, and a pleasant spell sucking all the worry out of you. Sit back, relax, and enjoy it."

"What do you want?" Artemis asked. "What do you want more than anything else in this world? I'll give it to you. Whatever it is, I'll get it. Just help me."

Transfigura struggled on the brink of speech. "I want to be free, for one thing," she said at last. "And, as it is my race's fatal flaw, I yearn for jewels."

"Jewels."

"Yes. Any jewel will do, as long as it sparkles, but rubies are my favorite. The deep red color…" she sighed. "I've heard fairies nowadays love gold. Well, Shapeshifters love jewels."

Artemis felt like laughing. "I can get you as many jewels as you wish, Transfigura," he promised. "I could fill a mansion with diamonds and let you swim, if you like."

Her eyes glittered. Artemis had a feeling this image pleased her. "I can't chance it," she murmured. "Esperanza would catch me, and the punishment would be unspeakable. I'd be forced to transform into a frog and be dissected- that happened, once. I still have a few scars in my frog form."

Artemis winced. "I'm sorry. But if you let me get to Holly, I'll defeat Esperanza. You'll be free. Together, we can take her down and escape this dungeon."

When Transfigura looked hesitant, Artemis clasped her hands in his. "It's worth a shot," he coaxed. "When are you going to get another chance like this, with another to help you?"

"…I will try," she said finally. "But only because you promised me an escape. And if you try and leave without me—"

Transfigura broke their hold on each other, grasping Artemis's elbow and pulling him into a firm and painful position. He gasped quietly as the bone shivered, trembling on the verge of cracking.

"I won't," Artemis said quietly. "You have my word. I can't give you anything stronger."

She released his arm. The two scrambled to a more comfortable position on the pillows, facing each other.

"So," Artemis said lightly. "If you could tell me how to break the spell, I'd highly appreciate it. I feel giddier than I have in a long time, and Holly's life seems less important by the minute. Please, talk."

"Drop the key," Transfigura said. He pursed his lips.

"That's it? Just take out the key and throw it on the ground?"

"That's the general idea, yes. You'll find it harder than you think, and I can't help."

Artemis reached into his pocket, bringing out the delicate key. It looked beautiful to him; like a living creature. His heart ached to put it back in his pocket. It belonged there.

He made to throw the key, but found his fist clenched around the object, which burned painfully. Transfigura smiled sadly.

"The spell Esperanza has on you is called a Bind hex. Keep trying to get rid of the key while I talk."

Artemis nodded, working hard on opening his palm.

"A Bind hex can only be placed on a person by that same person; they must inflict the spell willingly, even if they are not aware of the curse. Esperanza couldn't have thrust the key into your hand and kept you under her influence; it doesn't work that way," Transfigura began.

"Okay," Artemis said through clenched teeth. Tear buds were gathering in the corners of his eyes. It was so gorgeous, so elegant. He didn't want to give the key up.

"Esperanza guided you into her trap with insane ease- she needed you completely incapacitated so she could deal with Holly and know you couldn't go anywhere. All she had to do was tell you that the key would free Holly, and you wanted it. Once you picked it up, the spell started; slowly, it seeps every worry and anxiety from your mind and puts you in a happy place. You can't care about anything once the hex settles. Drop the key, just throw it away, and you can go and try to save your elf girl, though I doubt there's much left to save."

"What?"

Transfigura rolled her eyes. "She's been alone with a vengeful sorceress for longer than she ought to. Your dear Holly is, at this moment, mangled, if lucky."

The news glanced off Artemis's mind, though a part of him still clutched at the ability to worry and stress.

"I can save her with the key," Artemis argued. He stood, walking swiftly into the dark hallway. The fight left him, his legs turned to jelly, and he almost passed out with the need to stop.

"Get rid of the key," Transfigura instructed. Her eyes closed again, lips quirking into a grin at the sounds of Artemis's struggle. She had seen this before.

Artemis, ignoring the burning metal in his hand, looked at Transfigura with an intensity that would make most squirm. It might not have been Holly, but she had mimicked every detail of Holly's external features. Transfigura was a fitting substitute.

"Quite staring," Transfigura murmured without opening her eyes. Artemis smiled; it was something that Holly would have said. She looked incredible, lying there, nut-brown skin seeming to glow in the scarily florescent light.

"You're better than this," Artemis said quietly. Transfigura opened one eye, confused, before realization dawned on her and she rested again. "I've known you for years, gotten to know you, fallen slowly for you. I cherish every moment I spend with you, even if the moment is cold. Now, I can't let Esperanza kill you, I have to break the Bind, because I love you, Holly…"

Transfigura was obviously drowning in the unbearable sappiness. She sat up, propping herself on her elbows. "And I love you, Artemis," she said in a perfect imitation of Holly's voice. It was caring, yet tinged with uncomfortable nervousness, as if admitting this jeopardized everything she had worked for throughout her lifespan. The only thing not quite believable was Transfigura's eyes- they rolled frequently, bored and annoyed with the roleplaying.

"I can't drop it," Artemis growled. His fingers worked tirelessly to quit gripping the key, but the spell was growing stronger, a constant weight on his shoulders.

Transfigura— _Holly_— rose to her feet. "So now I'm going to die just because your weak brain can't handle breaking a curse?" she said, exasperated, in Holly's pissed-off, snappish tone. "If it were me, I would have tossed that damn thing ages ago. You know why? Because I love you, Mud Boy, and that fact is enough to blot out any other thought. Smarts don't have anything to do with this particular challenge; otherwise you would've won by now. Just think with your heart, or stomach, or liver, for all I care— just stop analyzing. Don't you want me to live?"

Artemis was brought out of Transfigura's rant by a loud _smack _of metal hitting stone, and a sudden lack of heat in his palm. The key had clattered to the ground.

He grinned at Transfigura, who had flopped back on the pillows with a bored expression. "Thank you," he said. "I'll be back for you."

"You better," she called as Artemis began through the dark hallway, free of the carefree calm that clouded his judgment.


	17. Chapter 18

As much as he hated to admit it, Artemis missed the Bind hex. It had removed most of his more unpleasant emotions, or at least smudged them so he dumbly ignored the finer points of logic. He now felt his worry for Holly in its complete form. It tore at his chest with gaping fangs; he could feel every negative thought pierce the remnants of his happy place without mercy.

The maze of dark passageways was dauntingly endless, though never truly confusing. Artemis remembered the way perfectly. His mind kept slipping back to Transfigura, and all the mystery that surrounded her. Where had she come from, and when, why, and how? None of his fairy companions had ever mentioned anything that slightly resembled a Shapeshifter, yet she existed.

A stalactite crumbled to powder and floated over Artemis's head. He coughed. It had all become a routine in the few minutes he had been running; foot after foot, breathing raggedly, choking on the stale air and becoming exceedingly tense with every tiny shadow that dared move.

A scream ripped through the air like a dry forest catching on fire. It engulfed Artemis's ears, leaving him blinking in terror. He couldn't tell if the scream was Holly's, though he'd bet Transfigura's reward jewels it was.

Another scream— louder this time. It choked off after a second, only to determinately return. Artemis raced against the noise. He strained to distinguish words through the agony, though he only heard yells.

Dim, pure light trickled through the cavern entrance ahead. Artemis gasped as baby tears of confusion stung his eyes; he usually wouldn't cry at a time like this, but hearing such total distress did funny things to him.

Artemis wasn't sure what he expected to happen once he had passed through the mouth of the cave door, though no reaction from any living thing was a bit of a letdown. His eyes adjusted to the different lighting, and what he saw disturbed the genius more than anything else in his life had.

Piles and piles of acorns were strewn across the cavern floor; fresh dirt had replaced the stone ground, and it was torn in various places. The spherical cage had been opened- it now hung awkwardly in midair, bobbing up and down.

Esperanza knelt on the ground, shaking. Her hair was filled with static, and flew in every direction; it was ghostly. She was bent over something that Artemis suspected to be the one thing down here he cared about. Unfortunately, he was correct.

Getting a better angle on the scene, Artemis released a shuddering breath at the sight of Holly writhing under Esperanza's grip, jaw dropped to its fullest extent to release frequent screams. Her eyes were wide and fixed in utter hatred upon Esperanza's face; Holly's hands, curled into claws as she clenched her fists in anger, were trying desperately to reach the enchantress.

Artemis couldn't quite tell what Esperanza was doing to Holly. It looked, to put it frankly, as though Esperanza was merely holding Holly down. Though Holly's screams showed she was in actual pain.

He flinched at the expression on Holly's face; it was twisted. He didn't know that face.

Artemis moved carefully closer before stopping in case Esperanza noticed. He had to analyze the situation before he acted, lest he do something wrong and risk Holly's life.

Esperanza looked worse than Holly, if it was possible; her eyes were misted over, her jaw slack. It was as though she was not inhabiting her own body, and the woman in front of him was a shell. Esperanza's fingers held a tight grip on Holly's arms; it was the one part of her that refused to slacken at any moment. Something blue was traveling up Holly's arm, seemingly against her will. Magic? It would explain the acorns.

The magic- or whatever it was- filled the air around Esperanza, drowning her in rich blue. When the flow lessened, Esperanza snapped out of her freakishly relaxed trance, which made Artemis jump backwards.

"Dig!" she rasped. Holly stared up at her in fury, shaking her head mutely.

Esperanza's eyes narrowed. She leaned down, murmuring something unbeknownst to Artemis. Cruel, red sparks, so different from the blue ones, shot from Esperanza's fingertips and sunk deep into Holly's skin. Holly's eyes rolled into her head. She screamed.

It pained Artemis immensely to simply stand and watch as Holly was tortured. Tears spilled over Artemis's feet, but he kept his ground, mind spitting out fifty different options a minute. Holly had begun clawing at the earth, shoving in the nearest acorn and crying the appropriate words to signal the magic. Blue sparks danced up Holly's arms; Esperanza grabbed her, and the flow of the magic was disrupted.

Esperanza was most vulnerable when stealing Holly's magic, Artemis realized. As power fills her soul, her mind is removed from reality. That's when I must strike. But how?

Esperanza practically glowed from the soft blue light the magic provided. Artemis wondered how long this had been going on; Holly surely couldn't last much longer. Esperanza couldn't care less. She absorbed the magic and screeched for more, with no regard for Holly's wellbeing. One of them would have to give out after a while; it just depended on which one.

Holly's spherical prison still floated above the scene. The door hung open, its padlock hanging off looking half-melted. In fact, the opening to the ball looked singed around the edges. It had been blasted open, yet, still, maybe it would still be able to keep a creature imprisoned.

A particularly horrible scream brought Artemis to his senses. His eyes darted back to Holly, who looked as if she were fighting to obtain each breath. Esperanza clasped one of Holly's hands in her own, forcing an acorn into Holly's palm. Esperanza scraped dirt loose from the ground, shoving Holly's hand inside. Holly remained relatively silent, unable to utter the words necessary to signal the magic.

Esperanza's howl of frustration was unearthly loud. She began to summon the red sparks again; Artemis gritted his teeth and forced himself to keep scheming, glancing away from Holly's torment. It was especially hard to stand his ground as he heard the result of the red sparks rip from Holly's throat; he prayed she'd lose her voice, just so the screaming would cease.

Artemis snapped his fingers in triumph. A plan had presented itself, and, though it was frighteningly dangerous and exceedingly difficult, it was _something_. All he needed was Holly to give Esperanza one more boost of magic to put her into the unknowing trance, and he could save them both.

The glee he had felt when finishing his plan had faded now. Holly looked about ready to pass out, and Esperanza was becoming increasingly aware of her surroundings. The blue sparks had faded from both woman's arms, meaning no magic was being dispersed. Holly's hand was repeatedly jammed into the ground by Esperanza; a finger or two looked broken.

"Come on, Holly," Artemis said through clenched teeth. He crept towards the hovering cage, reaching slowly upwards to grip the door. Watching Esperanza closely, he dragged the sphere back towards the middle of the cavern. Holly was barely moving now.

"Speak!" Esperanza wailed throatily in a voice laden with far too much power. Holly parted her lips, forming words that might or might not have been audible. Her arm grew rigid in the dirt.

_Smack! _Esperanza had struck Holly across the face with the force of a young bull. Holly redoubled her efforts to speak while controlling her intake of air. Feeble blue sparks danced around her wrist; Artemis sighed in relief.

Though, no, magic wasn't traveling up her arm and into Esperanza as it normally would have- the few sparks that had appeared were healing a cracked bone. Esperanza growled in fury, now fully free of her trance and brimming with power. Sparks of multiple colors were bursting around Esperanza's hands. They sunk deep into Holly's skin; she lost the ability to breathe. Holly lay there, gasping.

It would take less than a pinprick of magic to trigger Esperanza's trance again. If Holly could dispense a single spark, Artemis's plan would come into action. But she was dying.

And then, motivated by the fact that she couldn't breathe, Holly croaked the appropriate words in a strangled fashion and regained her breath. Flurries of blue covered Esperanza from head to toe. She would have looked eerily beautiful, if not for the maniacal expression. Esperanza was nothing more than a vegetable now.

Artemis pounced on the chance. He tripped over nothing while clutching the sphere, hauling and heaving it until he was just behind Esperanza. This was the tricky part. Artemis wasn't positive what would happen when he touched Esperanza, but he was guessing it wouldn't be pleasant.

Holly noticed him over Esperanza's shoulder. She didn't look completely sure of his identity, eyes struggling to focus, but just the fact that another being was here with her siphoned a bit of the agony from her face. Artemis tried hard to concentrate on the task at hand.

He surveyed his fingers, wondering what they would look like after coming in contact with so much uncontained magic. Taking a deep breath, he leaned forward with both arms outstretched and clasped Esperanza's quivering shoulders.

An electric current unlike anything he had ever felt before scrambled up his arms, igniting his nerves unpleasantly. He pulled away in hopes of keeping the magic directed at Esperanza instead of him, preparing to try again. Artemis's eyes found his fingertips; they seemed relatively normal, if tinged the softest shade of blue.

Artemis made sure the sphere was still floating dutifully behind him; it was. Trying to forget the feeling he had received when touching Esperanza previously, Artemis grasped the enchantress and pulled backwards, dragging her inch by inch away from Holly.

Esperanza didn't notice, though this did not stop her newfound power from thoroughly electrocuting Artemis. All he could see was a piercing, sparkling blue, constantly dancing behind his eyes. But he would not let go.

The sparks emanated from Esperanza's being, thickening the air. Artemis wished he would lose the feeling in his hands, but every sensation became increasingly intense, making clutching Esperanza's shoulders unbearable. He twisted, searching for the sphere; it evaded his distracted eyes. Artemis chanced releasing a hand to hunt for the ball manually, though his fingers only found the magically tainted air.

Esperanza was awakening again, he could feel it. A signal was blaring inside his head, warning him. His fingers grappled with the lack of a sphere as he trudged sluggishly along.

And then— there! Artemis's hand had passed over a smooth surface. He quickly discovered the open door, and shoved Esperanza clumsily inside, though she fell to the ground more than once, nothing more than a magical rag doll. It took quite a few tries to fit her inside. Esperanza's eyes flickered open with a start, but it was too late. Artemis had snapped the door shut, holding it there as the melted padlock wouldn't keep it closed.

Esperanza screamed, pounding on the inside of the spherical prison with inhumane strength. The cage wouldn't have held if Esperanza wasn't occupied with the task of finding clean air to breathe; blue sparks had engulfed the interior of the ball.

Magic pricked dully at Artemis's stinging fingers. The sphere couldn't hold the amount of pure power for very long; Artemis prayed that it would last longer than Esperanza, or all three of them were dead.

Holly was groaning behind him. He fought the instinct to turn, to comfort her- his job wasn't finished yet. Esperanza was shrieking, hitting the walls of her cage with furious red sparks. These sparks bounced repeatedly back and forth through the air, adding to the magic cluttering the ball. Tentacles of power licked at Artemis's wrists now; his immediate reaction was to jump away, and it was difficult to repress the option. He was reminded vaguely of crawling through DNA cannons armed with nothing but a single dwarf hair molded to fit a lock, being sparked by the inactive plasma. He would trade this scenario for that one.

Artemis winced. The sensations buzzing about his hands mimicked that of a limb that has fallen asleep- an unpleasant tingling that intensifies whenever you move. Artemis chanced a glance at Esperanza; she had slunk to the bottom of the sphere, twitching. He could barely spot her through the haze of blue. Making one of the oldest mistakes in the book, Artemis relaxed ever so slightly at the sight of his enemy nearly incapacitated.

This was when Esperanza pounced, eyes flying open, one hand shoving at the door. The door opened a crack, releasing a steady flow of magic.

Artemis yelled- Esperanza's hand had wrapped around his wrist. It seemed as though both a hot poker and dry ice were pressing against his flesh, destroying his senses. He thrust his good hand against the disfigured padlock, willing the door to shut, but no such luck. Esperanza grinned wildly.

The air was clogged, his hand was both burning and freezing, and Esperanza was freeing herself from the sphere inch by inch. It was hopeless. Artemis's plan had backfired, and now, because of him, Holly would die.

Holly, dead. Dead upon unforgiving stone, separated from her world, all because of him. No.

Artemis wouldn't let her die. It wouldn't happen. She had suffered too greatly to perish in such a way. Even if he was reduced to a pile of smoking ashes by this crazed, powerful gypsy, Holly would live to tell the tale.

Filled by determination and driven by the magic Esperanza was channeling into him, Artemis summoned his newfound power and directed it into his fingertips. All ten, even the five close to paralysis, soaked in the magic.

Esperanza was calling every spark in her body to the surface now. It was perfect. Artemis broke her grip, grabbing her hand the second they broke contact and shoving the extremity inside the sphere again. It hurt; oh, god, it hurt. To touch her was hell. But he didn't care anymore.

They struggled for a moment, fighting for control, but Artemis won in the end. Esperanza was forced at an awkward angle inside the prison. The door was slammed shut, vibrating violently, sending shockwaves up Artemis's arm. He closed his eyes, flirting briefly with the idea of meditation, but deciding it was grossly inappropriate and probably ineffective.

When he dared look at Esperanza, it reminded him of a scene from _Indiana Jones:_ _Raiders of the Lost Arc._ (he had been forced into seeing it by Juliet. A complete waste of time.) Esperanza seemed to be melting; her features looked waxy. Since Esperanza had been purposefully releasing magic, it now flew free in its most dangerous form. Esperanza no longer looked human. Her face was oddly serene, yet she twisted in what appeared to be agony.

Artemis braced his entire body against the door. It had to hold. It had to. Esperanza was broken, just a few seconds more and she would be done, just as long as the goddamn sphere didn't crumble—

The ball could have been a bomb. The energy gathered in the center before exploding outwards, shattering the prison and hurling Artemis through the air. Noise had no place in Artemis's ears anymore; it was too loud, his senses had shut down from the overload.

He didn't know what had happened, or if Esperanza was dead. Artemis wasn't even sure if he was alive. But he had no time to ponder, as seconds after the explosion, Artemis collided with the cavern wall. He slid to the floor, unconscious. The world held no meaning as magic entered his receptive mind, healing what it could.


	18. Chapter 19

**Long chapter is long. =)**

* * *

Artemis awoke as he had on countless mornings before, tired and disoriented with a sense of misplaced calm from his dreams. The first thing he noticed was the awkward angle he was in; it was terribly uncomfortable, and he shifted.

Searing pain flooded his body the moment he tried to move. Artemis grunted, shifting again to encounter the same results. He froze, blinking repeatedly to clear the sleep from his eyes.

He lay splayed across the cavern floor. Every extremity was bent except for one arm, which was rigidly straight. Artemis glanced down his left arm to find his hand grossly deformed; he shuddered, ignoring the panic growing in his throat.

Thoughts were slow for the first few minutes. Artemis groggily accepted how hurt he was, flexing his damaged muscles and suppressing the urge to look at his left hand. He finally forced his eyes fully open, observing the cavern's contents.

Across the floor, something blackened and burnt lay smoldering. Artemis carefully picked himself up from the floor, testing his legs. They seemed to hold; he made his way across the cavern and examined the wreckage.

Memories clicked into place. Artemis shuddered, envisioning the smoking mess as it had been before; a hovering sphere used to hold prisoners. He absently clutched his left hand with his right, imagined Esperanza grasping his arm as energy flooded his fingers. Artemis's left hand was odd to the touch; he took a deep breath, forcing himself to look directly at the hand without glancing away.

It was devastating. Artemis's hand had locked in the position it had been in at the time when Esperanza had grabbed it; fingers curled over each other in a half-fist. His skin looked- if it was possible- paler at the knuckles. His fingertips were purplish-blue. Artemis's fingers had fused together; it was obvious, the hand was crippled.

Artemis tried to move any section of the hand with negative results. His fingers didn't even twitch. He could rotate his wrist, but the mobility stopped there. Artemis should have been shocked at the loss, but he was still too numb to feel any emotion stronger than mild surprise.

Holly! The thought was random but powerful, sweeping away his ponderings on the subject of his deformed hand. Where was she? Artemis scanned the cave, eyes darting jumpily back to anything that gave the illusion of movement.

There. In the far right corner. Artemis stumbled closer to Holly's crumpled figure, curled and shivering and facing the wall. His legs gave out on multiple occasions; it took him minutes to cross a space that would normally have taken him thirty seconds.

Artemis knelt by Holly, laying his good hand on her shoulder and gently rolling her onto her back. He felt her forehead- sickly cool.

Her shoulder jerked under Artemis's fingers. "Holly?" Artemis said, bent over the elf's form, eyebrows furrowed. "Can you hear me?"

He received nothing but a barely-audible groan in response. In fact, it could have been a product of his desperate imagination.

"Holly," Artemis repeated, shaking her shoulder gently. Her head turned, eyes scrunching tightly closed. After a few more careful shakes, each becoming the slightest bit rougher as Artemis became increasingly worried, Holly's eyes fluttered open. Though somnolent, the elf was definitely awake. Artemis released a tense breath.

A fist flew out of seemingly nowhere, connecting solidly with Artemis's chin. The pain was not as surprising as the sound of bone against bone, a sharp _crack_ that had him wondering whether something vital had broken. Dazed, he fell back from Holly, landing on his elbows.

A series of blows rained down on Artemis's chest, each less forceful then the last. He peered through his fingers at his assailant; Holly had wrenched herself upwards from the ground, sitting by Artemis and attacking him with all the power she could muster- which wasn't a lot.

"Holly—"

He wasn't worried so much for his own wellbeing as for hers. Holly was weak, completely drained, yet throwing the remainder of her energy into this attack. Her eyes were slowly clouding over, breath becoming heavier as she ran out of steam.

After Holly totally wore down, Artemis ceased fending off her fists and grabbed her wrist with his good hand. Holly struggled instantly, looking mortified.

"Holly, it's me!" Artemis said loudly. Maybe his voice would penetrate her addled mind. "Artemis. Artemis Fowl. Esperanza's gone."

If Holly heard him, she gave no indication of such. Instead, the poor elf collapsed on the ground, spent from the brief exertion. Artemis knelt beside her, his chin still throbbing with pain.

"Artemis?" Holly said weakly. "You're… you're hand. What…?"

Her eyelids closed for a spell as she collected her scattered thoughts. Artemis's immediate reaction was to hide his left hand in embarrassment and shame; he conquered this option and thrust his hand in front of him, letting Holly take in the injury in full.

"Overexposure to that much magic had to have a consequence," Artemis said with a slight shrug. "It's all right, really. I can't even feel it anymore."

"Maybe I can help!" Holly suggested. She raised a limp arm, grimacing when no magic emitted from her fingertips.

"Absolutely not," Artemis said firmly. "You're hurt, too- more so than me. Do you want to tell me what happened?"

"Does it matter?"

It didn't especially matter, no. What's done was done; Esperanza was gone, and Artemis had a rough estimation of what had happened while he had been with Transfigura. But Artemis thirsted for closure on the situation, to learn every detail and connect the puzzle pieces to fully understand their time in the cave.

This must have showed on Artemis's face, or maybe Holly just knew him that well, because she didn't wait for an answer before sighing and beginning her story.

"As soon as you went into that side passageway, Esperanza practically stormed at me and threw me out of that sphere-thing. It was terrible… she looked possessed. I guess I tried to fight at first, but it was useless. Esperanza snapped her fingers, and suddenly I was chained to the floor; she went about muttering to herself, making these odd gestures at the floor."

"To turn it into dirt," Artemis finished. Holly nodded; the movement pained her, and she lay back on the floor with a grimace. Artemis positioned her head in his lap, to ease her tension and relieve her from the uncomfortable stone.

"She snapped her fingers, and a hailstorm of acorns fell from thin air," Holly continued, closing her eyes. "She looked up, all of a sudden, towards the passage you had entered earlier. I was told to bury as many acorns as I could while she 'took care of some business'. I was fearful for your life, of course, but I buried the acorns anyway- I thought having power would certainly help both of us.

"Esperanza returned a few minutes later with a mad gleam in her eyes- the chains disappeared, and I tried to use the _mesmer_ on her- it had never failed before, expect when you used those damn glasses. It didn't even faze her, and she was… displeased."

Artemis shuddered at the thought of a furious Esperanza. Holly had apparently drifted into thought; Artemis prompted, "And then?"

"She zapped me," Holly said simply. "I don't know with what, but it hurt like hell. Esperanza moved with inhuman speed, and then she was on top of me, grabbing my wrists and warning me how much pain I was going to endure—"

She cut off with a shiver. "Sorry. It's just- I was so _terrified_, just then. Esperanza's eyes shut and I felt magic stirring within me, three acorns' worth. When it began traveling to Esperanza, I felt like something deep inside my soul had shifted. The world was suddenly wrong. Not to mention the experience would have been draining after a few seconds, but full minutes of excruciating power transfer…

"Still, I don't know how exactly she got the magic from me. Esperanza's one powerful woman. I must have buried twenty acorns, and each time, as she dragged the energy out of me, I thought, _it can't hurt any more than this. I've reached the maximum amount of pain. _I was wrong. Each time it got worse, and every time I paused she would conjure those red sparks. They were fire at its hottest stage.

"This went on forever. I lost my mind, I think, but, being filled with so much magic, I was kept sane by those few blue sparks that stayed within my mind, constantly correcting what Esperanza destroyed. When you pulled her off me, I don't even remember being happy- I just knew something had changed, but most of the pain remained, and my only concern was my breath. Breathing was everything.

"I don't know what you did, but when that explosion happened, I _rejoiced_. The air was thick with magic, and I was mercifully rendered unconscious."

"And I was upset about a disfigured hand," Artemis murmured, leaning down to kiss Holly briefly. She was barely responsive, but the gesture was obviously appreciated. "God, you're brave."

"No, I'm not," Holly sighed. "I didn't want to go through all that. I was forced to, and I had no choice but to endure it, because I couldn't turn it off. If death had been an option, I might have chosen that."

Artemis helped Holly into a sitting position. Respect, or something quite like it, filled Artemis's heart at the thought of Holly's recent ordeal. The two clung to each other while trying to stand; both were wobbly on their feet, and almost toppled over.

"I know a way out," Artemis grinned. Holly's expression brightened until the image of her just minutes ago was erased from Artemis's memory. "Follow me."

"What about…?" Holly trailed off, gesturing to the cavern at large.

"Dead," Artemis said shortly. He didn't see how it could be any other way. And if she wasn't, well, all the more reason to leave as soon as they could.

Transfigura was waiting for Artemis as she had promised, lounging about in the plentiful pillows while still imitating Holly's features. Holly looked purely stunned, stopping in her tracks and staring unashamedly at the spitting image of herself.

"Oh, you're back!" Transfigura said happily in Holly's voice. Artemis smiled.

"And alive, if you can believe it," he responded, moving into the room with Holly in tow. "We kept our promise. Can we leave now?"

"Where's my ol' buddy Esperanza?" Transfigura asked, eyes narrowing.

"Dead." Artemis gladly delivered the news a second time.

Transfigura's- well, Holly's- eyes became wide as saucers. "What?" she gasped. "No. Really? My Gods, Artemis, I can't believe it!"

"I know," Artemis said. "Now, would you mind taking on another shape? Holly's frightened, I think."

"Who is she?" Holly asked meekly as Transfigura went about changing her shape.

"Her name's Transfigura," Artemis whispered back. "She's a Lircues—"

"Shapeshifter," Holly finished in awe. "That's incredible."

"You've heard of them?"

"Only in legends. This is incredible."

"Finished!" Transfigura called brightly from the center of the room. Both Artemis and Holly looked up to find a beautiful Japanese girl, around twenty-one years of age, smiling earnestly back at them. Transfigura's hair fell roughly to the middle of her back, and shone brighter than the rubies Artemis had promised her.

"This is probably my favorite form," Transfigura said. Her voice had changed completely- higher and more melodic- but Artemis still detected traces of the person he had talked to earlier in this new body. "She's pretty, huh? I was friends with a human who looked exactly like this for about five years- nicest person I've ever met."

"You were friends with a human?" Holly asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I can take on any form, hon," Transfigura reminded Holly sweetly. "Why not take advantage of that?"

Holly cocked her head in agreement, apparently still deciding if she liked Transfigura or not.

"Shall we go then, friends?" Transfigura said with a clap of her hands. "I wanna get me some rubies."

"All in due time," Artemis reminded her. "First, we have to get out of this place."

"Easy! I should be able to transport us to the surface- there's no other way to get there, you know."

"What?" Holly paled. "There's really no other way?"

"You were both brought here magically," Transfigura said, giving Holly a look that screamed _duhh!_. "This cave is sealed off from the world- Esperanza's own creation. I, luckily, possess the power to get us out of here- without me, you'd both be screwed."

"But you told me if I left without you—"

"I wanted to see if you'd _try _to leave," Transfigura corrected. "It'd show me what kind of human you are- the kind I like or the kind I kill."

After a moment's pause, and a wary glance from Artemis, Transfigura giggled and said, "Kidding! I don't kill. But I'd be very pissed off if you tried to leave."

"Wait," Holly said, not having heard her companion's little exchange. "If you could leave any time you wanted to, why didn't you?"

"Alas, my short friend, I couldn't leave," Transfigura sighed dramatically. Holly bristled at the 'short' remark. "Esperanza made certain that as long as she lived, I wouldn't be able to leave the cave. But now she's dead!"

"Well," Artemis said uncomfortably, "I didn't actually _see_ her die. There was an explosion… she must be dead. It's illogical to think she could have survived something like that."

The joy and good humor had left Transfigura's eyes; she downright glared at Artemis, clenching her fists. "You don't know if she's dead?" she shouted, throwing up her hands in exasperation. "If she's not dead, Artemis, _then we can't leave!_"

"I'm sure she is!" Artemis retorted. "It's impossible—"

"But it's not!" Transfigura moaned. "This is Esperanza we're talking about, she's capable of anything! Oh, you're an idiot… if we try to leave with her still living, I'll receive a very nasty shock and you two will probably kick the bucket!"

"We'll… die?" Holly confirmed weakly.

"Well, _you_ won't, probably. You've got magic protecting you, and you're a superior species, but Artemis- if the gypsy lives, you'll be fried by the spell she put on this place, and be dead before you can say 'ow'."

Artemis processed this. "We have to try," he said firmly. "If there's no other way out, then we'd be no better off staying around here."

"Why don't we check to see if Esperanza lived?" Holly suggested, ignoring Artemis. "There's got to be a corpse."

"No, just ashes," Artemis shook his head slowly. "And those would be indistinct with the remains of that sphere. We need to try it."

Transfigura shrugged. "Your life, I guess," she said. "Ew, what happened to your hand?"

"Never mind about that," Holly cut in before Artemis could respond, throwing Transfigura an annoyed glare. "We can't chance Artemis _dying_! It's ridiculous."

"Artemis doesn't think so," Transfigura pointed out. "If you want to stay here and rot, be my guest, sister. I'm your only way out of here."

"No, I'm coming, it's just…" Holly looked desperately at Artemis. "I'd like you alive."

"Me too. That's why we're leaving." Artemis tried to reach for Holly's hand before remembering the hand he had been trying to manipulate had been rendered useless.

"Okay, one person on each arm, that should do it," Transfigura said loudly. Artemis moved to Transfigura's left side, gripping her arm with his good hand. Holly remained where she was, arms folded, glaring daggers at Transfigura.

"Don't blame this on me," Transfigura said to her. "I'm not the one who couldn't carry out a killing properly."

Artemis laughed, not because the joke was particularly funny, but because his nervousness had to be released in ways other than showing itself. Holly turned her glare to him.

"Holly." Artemis returned her glare, staring her down until finally Holly crumbled. With an expression that would terrify most small children, she grabbed Transfigura's right arm.

"All aboard!" Transfigura called. Holly rolled her eyes.

The Lircues began to shudder violently; her passengers tightened their holds, watching in fascination as she began to glow a brilliant green. Her shining waves of hair began to stand on end, giving the impression that Transfigura was some kind of beautiful version of Medusa.

"It's a long way up!" Transfigura shouted, her melodic voice cracked by the strain of transporting them all to the surface. "Just relax, and _don't let go_."

Holly leaned back behind Transfigura, shifting her grip while never breaking it. Her eyes were hard as they met Artemis's.

"If you die, I'll never forgive you," Holly yelled, at the precise time Artemis shouted, "I know it's improbable, but will you marry me?"

Holly barely heard him, but heard him she did. Her eyes widened, her lips parting in surprise. Artemis's gaze was unbroken, though his face was full of the anxiety and worry he had been hiding.

Holly's answer, whatever it may have been, was lost to the wind as the three of them shot for the surface. Hopefully, they would arrive with the same amount of travelers they had left with.

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**The next chapter's the last! Thank you to all the people who have stuck with this story from the beginning- you guys are my fanfiction bffls. **


	19. Finale

**This is the final installment in "The Gypsy's Prophecy". I've been writing this story since I was eleven, I believe. That's a long time. Creating this fic was the most fun I've ever had. I can't believe it's over.**

**I hope that you've enjoyed my story, and I thank you for reading it. And if any of you have been reading it since I first posted it on … I send you much virtual love. **

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It was a jolting experience all around. Transfigura had traveled through solid rock before, but not for years; she had been full of terror that Esperanza had survived the explosion, which only made it worse.

Artemis focused on the feel of Esperanza's arm under his fingertips, the vibrations threatening to dislodge his grip. He had been trying to take his mind off various other thoughts, but he couldn't ignore the fear that only logic would destroy.

Sure, I survived the explosion, Artemis thought. But Esperanza had been inside the source of the power; the air she had breathed was tainted with the energy. I hadn't been exposed to nearly that much magic, and hadn't been inside the sphere at the time of the explosion.

Reasoning barely helped. Artemis felt himself break apart into innumerable pieces, passing through solid stone and praying that all would go as planned. Artemis mentally exhaled as he realized that his thoughts were unaffected by his changing surroundings. It would have been an unfortunate thing, to literally lose his mind when he could be killed at any moment.

Holly, on the other hand, felt the need to groan as she realized she retained the ability to think- to agonize. The only thought swirling about her mind as she felt herself split and pass through solid things that should not be passed through was _Artemis could be dead at this moment._

But, no—the three of them were traveling towards the surface completely intact and free of unpleasant shocks. Transfigura immediately felt freer than she had in quite a few years, and wished she could inform her companions that they were safe. Holly was tensed, waiting for the waves of electricity that would never come; Artemis was absorbed in thoughts, memories, observations, drowning himself in his mind, determined to use his brain to its fullest extent in what could be his last few moments. _You'll live,_ a rational voice said at the back of his mind. _You're very rarely wrong._

The ride took an eternity. Eventually, Holly became lost from herself as the splits that shook her body became more severe. She could still think, but those thoughts were gibberish.

After a while, the journey became highly unpleasant for Artemis. Unlike Holly, his thoughts were completely lucid, and he fought for that luxury with every second. The intense pressure bearing down on his being as they rocketed towards the surface was hardly enjoyable, and, while he knew that letting his mind go would ease this, he held out as long as he could.

He relinquished bits of thought to relieve some of the discomfort, but never fully let go.

Time kept passing, though to the three of them it slogged along at a leisurely pace that suited none of them. When Transfigura broke the surface and their essences began to collect themselves again, time sped up, no longer inching through the day.

Artemis was suddenly on lush ground, gripping the grass and coughing. The air stung his lungs. It was a miraculous change from the air of the cave; this was cold, crisp, and alive. It took him a few minutes to fully collect himself.

"You're not dead, I see," Transfigura said, glancing at him once before returning her eyes to the expanse of land stretched out before them.

Artemis tested his legs, walking over to her. "It's not a surprise."

"I guess not."

They stood, looking at the clouds roll through the sky. Artemis marveled at the feeling of safety that came naturally when he was not in danger; it would not be taken for granted, after being on edge for days.

"I had forgotten," she said, "how beautiful the world is. It's easy to forget, when you're used to it."

"It's a wondrous place," Artemis agreed. "We're lucky."

"Impeccably. You still owe me, you know."

Artemis' lips quirked up. "I didn't forget. You'll get your rubies. What will you do, now that you're free?"

"I don't know," Transfigura murmured. She morphed, hair lightening, skin becoming tan, clothes changing texture. Each little change seemed gradual, so when Artemis looked up to find a redhead at his side, it was quite surprising. "I can do anything," she continued in an English accent. "Become anyone. The possibilities are endless, really, but I don't want to think about that."

He shrugged. "You don't have to. Just enjoy freedom- oh, Holly."

Artemis had noticed his elfin friend, curled in the grass with her eyes closed. He walked over to her, kneeling in the grass.

"Are you awake?" he asked gently, laying his hand on her shoulder. Holly's eyes flickered open, her lashes sparkling with dew.

"Am now," she said, lips barely moving. "This feels nice. I don't want to move."

So Artemis joined her in the grass.

"I'm not marrying you," Holly said after a minute's pause. Her eyes had fallen closed again.

Artemis's stomach twisted, though this was natural. "I know," he said sheepishly. "It was a foolish request- I don't know what I was thinking. Forgive me."

She brought her head up slowly, resting on her elbows and turning to face Artemis. "I want to," she said firmly. "You have no idea. But I'm not an idiot, and I'm certainly not naïve enough to believe that everything will turn out perfectly just because we're in love."

"Again, I know," Artemis said. "I'll be dead before you've reached middle age- far before that."

She flinched. "Stop. We both know how it is."

"It doesn't mean we can't have something," he said. Artemis examined his disabled hand, waiting for her response.

"Let's go," Holly said, getting to her feet with mild difficulty. "Juliet's probably dying of worry."

Transfigura promised that this transportation would be far less unpleasant, as it was merely from one point in Ireland to another. They arrived at Fowl Manor in no time, though it still took a few minutes to calm their addled minds.

Juliet tackled Artemis as soon as he entered the threshold.

"Oh my _god_! You're all right- I was so scared, you don't even know- days and days and you were just _gone_, and I was sitting in the Manor completely alone—"

"All right," Artemis groaned, his nerves flaring up in pain as Juliet hugged him viciously. "Juliet… come and sit on the couch, we can talk. _Ow_."

"Your hand!" she whimpered, grasping Artemis's left hand and quickly dropping it. The four of them made their way over to a couch, without Juliet even noticing Transfigura. Transfigura smirked.

They explained as much as they could, leaving out some of the more personal parts. Transfigura introduced herself, briefly turning into a spitting image of Juliet just to amaze her before switching back into the English redhead. Juliet had countless questions for them all, and, when they had all been answered in a satisfactory manner, Juliet was bouncing up and down in excitement and Artemis was emotionally drained.

"So you're together now?" Juliet giggled, gesturing to Artemis and Holly. Holly laughed dryly.

"We're gone for days, captured and tortured, and you're wondering about our dating lives?" she said. Juliet nodded patiently.

"Yes," Artemis said shortly. "And, with that, I think this conversation is over. I think I'll rest for a while, if no one objects."

Who could object to something like that? With a curt nod, Artemis left the room, retreating up the familiar staircase to his bedroom. It was cold; the air hung still, lacking the flowing feeling a room assumes when lived in.

No matter. Artemis sank into his bed, barely thinking to change and certainly ignoring the nagging impulse to actually get up again. As soon as he was in a comfortable position, Artemis's limbs caught on fire, growling with aches and pains. He gritted his teeth, determined to sleep.

Time whispered by. The pain subsided (or maybe Artemis was too tired to notice it anymore). Just as Artemis was slipping into sleep, he felt a hand at his shoulder, so light he barely felt it. He thought nothing of it. It seemed part of his dreams.

"You awake?" a voice murmured. Artemis was pulled back into reality, cracking an eye open. Holly sat at his side, a hand on his shoulder.

"Maybe," he said, blinking until his vision sharpened. "This doesn't feel realistic."

"What doesn't?"

"The comfort. The peace. And you," Artemis said, meeting Holly's eye, "sitting here."

She lowered her gaze, mouth twisting into a wry half-grin. "Well, I'm here, Arty, if only briefly."

"Don't go," he said with little hope.

"I'll always return."

"Just to leave again."

"Yes," Holly said sternly, withdrawing her hand. "Oh, don't pout. You _have_ me, don't you?"

"No, I know that," Artemis sighed. He sat up, once again ignoring the flaring pain. "I just wish we could… could _be_. Without complications. I understand that we can't," he said quickly, as Holly had opened her mouth, "it's just wishful thinking."

She leaned up to kiss him. "I love you."

"I know. And I you."

"We've been through hell, Artemis. Don't fret over the future. At least we've _got_ a future."

"I'd like to sleep," he said softly. Holly's eyes searched his, frowning slightly. After a moment's visual contact, Artemis lay back on the bed.

Holly was suddenly nestled in his arms. She didn't address him; she merely snuggled deeper into the embrace, her eyes closed. Artemis couldn't help but smile.

A sleepy eternity passed. Holly fell into a deep and dreamless sleep, though Artemis never fully dropped off. His eyes were closed, his mind at ease; but something kept him alert in the present. It was relaxing nonetheless.

Then Juliet's voice was far too loud in his ear.

"Wake _up!_ I hope they're not dead…"

"You're being funny, I assume," Artemis slurred. Juliet's beaming face awaited him as Artemis pried his eyelids open.

"Your transforming friend is freaking me out," Juliet said brightly. "She's been traveling the house for a while- I couldn't tell her to stop, I'm kind of scared of her- and every time she finds something with a ruby in it, a fancy vase or something, she flips out."

Artemis struggled upwards. Holly was unceremoniously deposited on the pillows; she was startled awake and sat up, shaking her head.

Holly touched Artemis's arm. "I should call Foaly. He doesn't have a clue where I've been the past few… how long has it been?"

Artemis bowed his head, not really sure himself. Holly sighed.

"Well, I've been away for a while, and, being an officer, I'll be in a lot of trouble. Better go get it over with," she said, kissing Artemis lightly before exiting the room. Juliet hopped up upon the bed.

"She's going to leave soon," the girl said anxiously. Her eyes searched those of her tired friend. "You have to do _something_."

Artemis shot her a look. "Did you have something in mind?"

"I wish."

"I'm sure you'll think of something," he said. "If you'll excuse me…" Artemis smoothed his clothes- as if that helped with the material in such a state- and walked out of the bedroom, down the halls, searching for Transfigura.

It wasn't that difficult to find her. There was a guest room on the second floor, the most magnificent place a guest could ask for. This room was full to bursting with sparkling jewels of every shape and size and color. The wallpaper was interspersed with emeralds. The bed's headboard glinted even in the dullest light, gems cut in unique ways greeting the visitor every morning. The nightstand was worth a fortune; its surface was dotted with millions of diamonds that were regularly polished to keep their shine.

In this room, in that very nightstand lay a hairbrush, mirror, and makeup kit. All three made a set. Each was encrusted with rubies, blood-red and dazzling; when looking at your reflection, you'd be distracted by the allure of the rim and handle. When Artemis entered the room, he wasn't surprised in the least to find Transfigura lying flat on her back on the bed, gripping the brush in one hand and the mirror in the other, the makeup kit perched upon her stomach.

"Hey," Transfigura murmured. Her eyes never moved from the mirror, darting from her reflection to the drops of winking rock.

Artemis stood by the bed. "Enjoying yourself?"

"They're beautiful," she breathed. "I'm taking them. This is a start."

"You're a child in a candy store."

"And what a store!" Transfigura laughed. She laid the objects tenderly at her side, facing Artemis with a gleam in her eyes.

"Is your girlfriend leaving soon?" she asked. Artemis's wince was barely noticeable.

"Yes. I'm not sure when," Artemis quipped. "And you know her name."

Transfigura shrugged. "That doesn't mean I have to use it."

"Would you like to say goodbye?" he asked. Transfigura frowned.

"Why?" she said, running the tip of a finger idly along the brush's handle. "We aren't friends. I barely know her."

It was Artemis's turn to shrug. "You'll never see her again, I believe. I was just asking."

"Yes. Well." Transfigura took the makeup kit into her lap. The light reflected from its surface glared into Artemis's eyes.

"She'll be back," Artemis voiced aloud, though he wasn't really talking to the woman next to him. Transfigura gave him a searching look.

"Yeah, I guess so."

"Then leave again," Artemis echoed his past words. "Each time, I won't know if she'll ever return."

Transfigura grabbed his hand reassuringly, though her expression was smirking. Caring, too, but mostly smirking. "So make her yours. Have a big wedding with doves and crying relatives."

"Impossible."

"You won't live together," Transfigura said, cocking her head to one side. "You'll be dead in the blink of an eye, breaking her heart."

This hurt. Deep. It must have showed on Artemis's face.

"You know it's true! Why'd you bring it up if you didn't want to talk?"

"I know, God, do I know… I shouldn't complain. I should be content just knowing we're somehow connected, but I'm not." Artemis pressed a palm to his forehead.

"Whining won't help," Transfigura said. "Think of a way to--"

"I've tried!" Artemis said in aggravation. Transfigura raised a slender eyebrow. "Nothing comes to mind, and it terrifies me. She means the world to me, now more than ever, and I can't- I _can't_…"

Transfigura scooped her treasures into her arms. Leaving a disgruntled Artemis in the bejeweled room, she pranced out into the hall without a word of explanation. Artemis watched her go and reluctantly followed, not wanting to stay in the dazzling bedroom much longer.

The hallways were completely deserted; Artemis strode down each alone, eyes seeking movement yet finding only stillness. A voice echoed through the house after a few minutes.

"Artemis?"

Holly rounded a corner, entering his line of vision.

"Is anything wrong?" he inquired. A smile graced Holly's otherwise on-edge expression.

"Oh- no, nothing wrong. I just spoke with Foaly. He yelled for a while, cried for a while, then did a bit of each in turn again."

Artemis raised an eyebrow, smirking. "You let him?"

"He was worried," Holly shrugged. "Had a lot of tension in his system that had to get out."

"Then?"

"Foaly arranged for a shuttle," Holly said. "It's the fastest they've got; I should go, actually, it'll arrive in… fifteen minutes, maybe?"

Artemis stepped closer to the elf; their shoes' tips kissed.

"Return soon," he murmured, his fingers encircling Holly's small wrist.

"As soon as I can. I feel we'll have a lot to talk about."

"That we will," Artemis grinned. He pulled her into a full embrace; Holly's hands gripped his shoulders. She felt as though something was missing when they pulled apart.

There was that odd second when the two of them met eyes, each holding a certain amount of expectancy in their matching irises. But no one broke the silence- though Artemis strained to think of something to say- so Holly kissed Artemis gently on the cheek and began walking back down the hall.

Watching her walk away gave Artemis the feeling one might have when watching something very precious being carried out to sea by the tide. Artemis was standing in the sand while waves lapped at his feet, and Holly disappeared beyond the shimmering horizon.

And then Transfigura was by his side, appearing out of thin air. Her breath spiraled into his ear as she spoke.

"You're an idiot, you know that?" she whispered amusedly. Artemis's eyes stayed planted on the place where Holly had stood.

"I don't believe I am, but why, pray tell, do you?" he replied with little interest. Transfigura moved fluidly to face him with her eyes sparkling in a way that was difficult to place. Artemis wasn't sure if he liked the look.

"That room was full to bursting with the finest jewelry I've ever seen," Transfigura continued. "Rings, necklaces, bracelets, rings, anklets, _rings,_ are you catching my drift?"

Artemis glared in annoyance. He had heard this speech just minutes before, had he not? "We can't marry. You know that."

"Doesn't mean the girl wouldn't like a small reminder of the guy she loves," Transfigura said in a sing-song voice. "And wouldn't she look grand among her officer friends sporting a ring worth more than this mansion."

Artemis still looked skeptical. Transfigura gave a dramatic sigh.

"You wanted to have some sort of connection with Holly- something to keep the two of you together even when you're incredibly far apart. It might be corny, but take my advice," Transfigura said, her slender fingers tapping the bridge of Artemis's nose, "give her a ring. And hurry; she's off in minutes."

The idea held far more appeal when it seemed the only option. Sure, presenting the elf with a simple band (simple, yet expensive) after they had gone through so much wasn't what Artemis had wanted, but he didn't know what else to do, and, hey, he was already running towards the bejeweled room at top speed, slipping multiple times on the polished floor though it didn't slow him a bit—

He entered the room in a frenzy, glancing about for rings of any shape or size. The image of Holly with a ring on her finger was strong in his mind.

"They're in the drawer to your right," Transfigura's voice said from the hallway. Artemis dashed to the drawer, opening it and rifling through hundreds upon hundreds of small metal circles. Most were encrusted with diamonds, sapphires and emeralds; he didn't want that. Artemis didn't know what he wanted, but there wasn't much time, barely any time at all…

Rings caught on his fingers, piling to his knuckles as he hunted through the drawer. Artemis examined a few selections that might have worked; each was far too big for Holly's fingers, of course. There were some very small rings that could fit an elf for sure, though Artemis wasn't positive why they were there in the first place. His mother, he supposed, had wanted the largest array of jewelry she could. There were some rings that could easily pass over his wrist.

It was found in an instant, the perfect set that lay nestled between their flashier brethren. The two rings were identical, though one was far smaller; it could have been made for Artemis and his elfin love.

Both rings were deep sepia brown that looked almost as if they were made of wood, yet were far too cold to the touch to not be made of some harder substance. They caught the light modestly, barely glinting but still breathtakingly lovely. Four crisp blue gems the size of an ant's head winked together in a closely set row from both bands.

No time to admire them now. Artemis turned to find Transfigura sitting calmly on the bed, waiting patiently.

"I've got them," Artemis said breathlessly. "Can you--"

"Of course," Transfigura smiled. She took Artemis's arm, taking a moment to take in his choice before transporting them both to a grassy hill peppered with large oak trees.

Holly sat on the ground with her knees tucked under her chin. Though the light was dim, her scars, bruises and other souvenirs from her time in the cave were more prominent.

"Holly."

Holly jumped, a hand pressed to her heart. She sprang to her feet with catlike agility, looking like quite the menacing creature before realizing who had spoken. "Artemis!" she exclaimed. "By the Gods, you scared me half to death. Don't do that."

"I apologize," Artemis said, drawing closer.

Holly straightened, eying him inquiringly. "Why are you here? My shuttle will be here in… well, it should have arrived a few minutes ago. Foaly's creations are never quite as good as he thinks they are."

Artemis didn't smile. He didn't speak. His expression remained the same even as his fingers slipped inside his pocket, finding the rings. Holly's eyes were trained on his hand as he slowly removed the jewelry from his clothing. Artemis laid his palm flat.

"Rings?" Holly said uncertainly. "Artemis, I said before, I'm not going to marry you."

"I'm not proposing." Though it sure looked like he was as Artemis got down on one knee, hair mussed in the wind and a hand turned upwards with two rings sitting in the middle. "Just take it." With an almost suspicious look, Holly took the smaller of the two and held it up to the sky.

Artemis observed with softened eyes as Holly turned his gift from left to right, traced the gems with a fingertip. Her lips parted in surprise at the ring's humble beauty. Holly pushed her present to the base of her ring finger; it fit as if she had been born with it.

When she looked up, tears budding quietly in the corners of her eyes, Artemis's finger also bore something extra. He smiled from ear to ear.

"I love you."

"I know. And I you."

Holly held out her hand with pride. Artemis's fingers played over hers, their rings matching in a satisfactory manner. They were each other's, from now until the end of their pitifully short time together.

"I have to go," she said, words falling from her lips like diamonds even if they were depressing. The happiness in the air enhanced everything.

Artemis caught Holly's arm as she turned to go. It was too perfect, the boy and the girl kissing passionately before an awaited separation; but, of course, it was only perfect if you entered the tale at the end. What was put into the kiss- what lay beneath the two sets of lips- was their fright, their pain, their heartbreak from the journey it took to arrive at this bittersweet destination. If you asked either participant, though, they'd tell you it was worth it.

The Esperanza ordeal was one no one should have to go through, especially not two such extraordinary individuals as Artemis Fowl and Holly Short. But it happened, and both survived to live a complicated and wonderful life together. Though the experience no doubt helped the two further their relationship, I'll bet they were glad when it was over.

And now it is.


End file.
